Homecoming
by Phillip Knutson
Summary: Sora, Riku, and Kairi decide to take a break and travel to Destiny Islands with their friends for a few days. During their relaxation, romance blossoms, and Sora is forced to confront some hard truths. This is my first story, so reviews are welcome. Set between the events of Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts 3. Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.
1. Chapter 1

Even after years, flying the gummi ship still felt exhilarating to Sora. After more than a decade isolated on islands, the freedom offered by the vastness of space was almost intoxicating. Even at warp, with the ship practically flying itself, he still felt an overwhelming sense of opportunity and choice.

"It's funny," he said to the young man seated to his right. "We can go anywhere, and after all the time we spent trying to get away, all I want is to go home."

Riku, seated in the copilot's seat, smiled nostalgically. "Yeah. I never would have guessed I'd want to come back. I guess we've grown up." He leaned back and closed his eyes. "Remember the raft?"

Sora smiled. "How could I forget? We spent months building that thing."

"We?" Riku prompted, opening his eyes to fix Sora with a playful grin. "I did all the work. You just kept falling asleep on the beach."

"Hey! I helped! I found the sail, and all the food." He recalled the days he'd spent gathering the materials. "And besides, I came up with the name."

"Only because you cheated and took the zip line when we raced."

Sora smiled, recalling their competition. One of the many they'd had over the years. "You're just made because I got to it first."

Riku smiled and leaned back again. "Maybe you're right." He put his feet up on the console in front of his chair. "Not that it matters. You got to name this thing anyway," he said, referring to the gummi ship.

Sora smiled. The King had given him the Highwind for his own personal use after the Mark of Mastery Exam, and he'd used it to travel the worlds while he trained. "What, you think you could have come up with a better name?"

"Excalibur," Riku answered without hesitation, re-using the name he'd wanted for the raft all those years ago.

Sora smiled. "That sounds like a challenge."

"You think you can beat me?" Riku prompted, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

"I know I can," Sora said with a determined smirk.

"Fine then," Riku crossed his arms, confident. "A race, just like last time. First one to the star tree and back gets to name the ship."

"Are you two fighting again?" A familiar voice called out from behind them.

The boys turned to see Kairi entering through the open flight deck door.

"Sora here thinks he can take me in a race," Riku replied.

Kairi sighed. "Some things never change." She place a hand on each of their shoulders and smiled. "But I wouldn't want it any different."

After a brief pause Riku turned to Sora with a wicked smile. "You know, Sora, if we really wanted to relive the old days, we could wager something else on the race."

"What's that?" Sora asked, excited to hear the proposal.

"Oh, just a little something we wagered last time. I'm sure you'll remember."

Sora thought back. They'd competed so much, the bets all seemed to run together. He remembered saying he'd be captain if he won, then Riku suggested… He froze. The paupu fruit. With Kairi. Kairi, who was standing right next to him.

Seeing the look on Sora's face, Riku started to laugh.

"What?" Kairi asked, confused. "What is it? What's the bet?"

"Yeah Sora," Riku taunted, "what's the bet?"

Sora could feel heat rising in his face. He stuttered, searching for an answer.

Riku let him suffer for a moment, before jumping to the rescue. "It's nothing, Kairi, just a joke from a long time ago. Don't worry about it."

Kairi fixed them both with a hard stare. "You know I hate being left out."

Sora desperately searched for a way out. Just then, a light began flashing on the dash. "We're coming up on the islands," he said, relieved. He flicked a switch with his right hand, activating the ship's intercom. "Take your seats everyone, and buckle in. We'll be landing in Destiny Islands in five minutes." He turned off the intercom and turned to Kairi. "You too."

She looked like she was going to keep on him about the bet, but then sighed. "We'll talk about this later." She removed her hand and took the seat to Sora's left, buckling herself in.

Within minutes, the Highwind cut its warp drive and entered realspace. The jolt of leaving warp was jarring, but Sora had gotten used to it. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kairi flinch. She'd only been flying for a few months, and only intermittently at that. She reminded him of himself when he'd first set out from Traverse Town with Donald and Goofy. Conversely, Riku had, of course, gotten the hang of gummi travel in a heartbeat. He'd only flown a few times, but he proved to be a natural, much to Sora's irritation.

Sora disengaged the pilot assist, and took direct control of the Highwind as it moved towards the world below.

The world of the Destiny Islands consisted of a vast ocean with a large clump of islands gathered together just above the equator. Sora pointed the ship towards these islands, entering the world's atmosphere. He descended until he was a few thousand meters above the surface, then leveled off. He flew over the islands, looking down at the familiar setting. He decided to put the ship down on the main island, near the beach where they could travel to the play island, but first…

Sora smiled to himself.

He reached for the intercom again. "Everyone buckled in?"

After a moment, a voice Sora recognized as Hayner's responded through the flight deck speakers. "Yeah, why?"

Sora clicked off the intercom and gunned the engines. The Highwind soared out past the shoreline of the big island and over the open ocean.

"Sora, what are you doing," Riku asked, eying his friend with curiosity.

Sora looked at him and smiled.

Then he put the ship into a dive.

The Highwind streaked straight down, cutting through the air at speeds even Sora had never attempted outside of warp. The force of their descent pushed the ships occupants back into their seats. Screams of panic and joy filled the ship's interior.

Sora began to laugh and turned the controls, pitching the ship into a wild aileron roll as it fell. The ocean surface swirled in front of them, nothing but a giant blue field. Only one thing was clear: the field was getting closer very, very fast.

Sora stopped his roll, and at the last possible second, pulled back on the controls. The Highwind strained, trying to break its immense downward momentum. The engines whined, protesting the forces they were fighting. The supports in the ship began to creak, threatening to collapse under the pressure of the maneuver. Then, with painstaking slowness, the ship slowed. The creaking and wailing of the engines died down, and the Highwind pulled out of the dive, mere meters above the surface of the sea.

Sora was laughing with tears in his eyes as he cut the ships speed. He looked to either side at his friends. Riku had remained seated normally, but his hands gripped the armrests of his chair like a vice. His eyes were wide with fear, and a small bead of sweat trickled down his brow. Kairi had raised her arms to cover her face. As the ship slowed, she lowered them and opened her eyes. She turned to Sora, a mixture of panic and anger in her eyes. "You jerk!" She howled, reaching over and smacking him. "Why did you do that?!"

Sora laughed even harder, not trying to hide his mirth. "You should see your faces!" He ducked another one of Kairi's smacks.

Kairi looked at Riku, who hadn't quite regained his cool, then started to chuckle despite herself. Her chuckling devolved into laughter as the adrenaline high subsided. Even Riku joined in after a moment.

Sora piloted the ship towards the shore, and deployed the landing gear. He put the Highwind down high up on the beach, well past the tide line. Once the ship touched down, he cut the engines and unbuckled his seatbelt. He left the flight deck, followed by Kairi and Riku, and the trio went to the passenger quarters to gather their belongings. The quarters had been expanded by Chip and Dale at Sora's request. He'd wanted more space for guests and passengers. What had been two small bedrooms, a bathroom, and a living room were now two large bunk rooms with room for six each, a living room with seats for twelve, and two bathrooms. The furniture was all bolted down and came equipped with seatbelts.

As he entered the living room he was met with shouts, some of excitement, but most of fear.

"We made it," Sora declared triumphantly after the initial wave of yelling had died down. His six passengers stood before him scattered throughout the room.

"No kidding," Lea responded with his usual sarcasm. He had gotten out of his seat and was gathering his duffel bag.

"Sora, you are the man!" Hayner shouted excitedly, a wide grin plastered across his face. "That was awesome!" His opinion appeared to be the minority.

"It was not," Olette countered, hands on her hips. "You could have at least warned us first."

Sora blushed at the normally sweet girl's rebuke. "Sorry."

She let out a breath, then smiled. "It's okay. It was a little fun, after all."

"I disagree." Pence was still seated in his chair, breathing heavily.

"Sorry, Pence," Sora said, feeling more than a little bad for having upset the young man.

"Oh, come on Pencie" said the girl next to him. "It wasn't that bad." Rikku, the youngest member of the Gullwings, cuffed Pence on the shoulder playfully. "What do you think, Yunie?" She turned to the young woman next to her.

Yuna, Rikku's leader, crossed her arms. "It was fun," she replied, though her bearing seemed to contradict her opinion. "But Olette was right. A little warning would have been nice.

Sora smiled sheepishly at his gathered friends. He was glad they'd all decided to visit the islands. He'd asked Leon and the rest of the Restoration Committee, but they'd refused, saying they had too much to do already. Paine, the third gullwing had elected to stay with them as well. The Gullwings had become official members of the HRC after Merlin had restored them to their original human sizes.

"Well, what are we waiting for," Kairi asked with a smile. "Let's get this vacation started. She ran into the girls' bedroom and returned with her duffel bag. Everyone else followed suit and followed Kairi to the back of the ship and down the landing ramp onto the beach.

Standing in the sand, Sora looked out over the sea and took in the beautiful familiar sight. The bright afternoon sun made the golden sand almost glow. The blue-green water was clear, and lapped against the shore calmly. The palm trees rustled in a light breeze, casting soft shadows on the ground. The smell of sea spray and the sound of gulls filled the air.

Sora took a deep breath, letting the sensations of his home fill him up.

Riku clapped him on the shoulder. "We're back," he said, somberly.

"Yeah," Sora replied. "It feels weird, knowing we have to leave again."

"Not forever," Kairi said, forcing her way between the boys. She put one arm around each of them. "One day, we'll come home and we won't have to leave."

"Yeah," Sora said, thinking about Xehanort's return and the monumental task ahead of them.

"Hey," Kairi said, seeing his faraway, disheartened look. "We'll make it happen. Together." She squeezed her two best friends tight. "I promise."

Sora felt her and Riku's presence and suddenly felt better. He knew that they, as friends, could do anything. "You're right. I'll stop moping. We're on vacation. We should be having fun."

"Right," Riku said. Then he smiled mischievously. "Speaking of which…"

He stepped around behind Sora and Kairi and put one muscled arm around each of their waists. He lifted them up mightily and took off for the waterline. Before they could react, Riku had carried them knee deep into the ocean. Gathering some power in his legs, he crouched and jumped farther out to sea. Sora and Kairi screamed joyously as the three of them flew a dozen feet before hitting the water in a chaotic splash. Riku let go as they floated and the three friends surfaced separately.

"Oh it is on!" Sora declared with a huge smile while he treaded water. While Riku was shaking water from his hair, Sora swam at him and tackled him, forcing his head under water again. Sora let him up, laughing. Riku broke the surface and smiled before splashing at Sora. Sora ducked under the surface and the splash hit Kairi square in the face.

"Oops," Riku said, grinning.

"Oops is right," Kairi said with mock fierceness. She swam at him. Riku tried to escape, but Kairi had always been the best swimmer of the three. She caught him and dunked him again, laughing. Then Sora caught her in a bear hug and dunked them both. The three friends surfaced again, laughing.

"Hey," Lea shouted from the shore. "Do you three want some alone time, or what?"

Riku looked at Sora and Kairi. "Truce?"

Kairi looked at Sora, then nodded. "For now," she answered teasingly.

The three friends swam until they could stand up, then walked the rest of the way to shore.

"Glad you could get that out of your system," Lea said coolly. "The rest of us normal people are ready to find out where we're staying, if you've got time."

"Sure thing, Lea." Sora said, catching his breath from their excursion. Sora, Riku, and Kairi, all soaked from head to toe, led the group along the beach toward the pier where a road let into town. As they approached the pier, however, three figures left it and began charging across the beach towards them.

"Hey guys!" the lead figure, a young man with bright orange hair called out. The two figures behind him, a young man with blonde hair and a young brunette woman waved.

Sora, Riku and Kairi recognized their old friends and rand forward to meet them.

Sora ran up to Tidus and the two of them shook hands and pulled each other into a bro hug. Selphie ran to Kairi and hugged her tightly, not caring about her wet clothes. Wakka and Riku met and shook hands, both content to avoid a hug. The friends exchanged greetings and then turned to the rest of the Highwind's occupants who'd just caught up.

Introductions were made, and the group of twelve travelled along the beach together. Sora caught Tidus up on his training and what they'd been doing to combat Xehanort. Tidus had taken quite the interest in the conflict, and he'd picked up his practice sword again whenever he had free time. He was determined to protect the islands if the Heartless ever showed up again. Sora appreciated his enthusiasm and had stopped occasionally during his training to teach Tidus some fighting techniques. Hayner joined them, as he was trying to do the same thing for Twilight Town. Kairi, Olette and Selphie all bunched together, talking about the trip and what they planned to do for the next three days. Wakka, Rikku, and Yuna grouped up while Wakka told the girls about the town. Pence followed behind the group, snapping pictures of the beach and trees with his camera. Riku and Lea led the group, content to walk in silence.

The group approached town, and stopped in the main square. They'd decided in advance how to split the room assignments up. Lea would stay with Riku, Hayner and Pence would stay with Sora, and the girls would stay with Kairi. The group split up, agreeing to meet on the beach later for a bonfire and dinner.

Sora approached his house with Hayner and Pence in tow. It still felt strange to go to his house. He'd stopped by during his training, of course, but it still felt odd to be home. Over the years, the Highwind had become his home, and now his house almost felt foreign, a museum showing the life he could never fully go back to.

He arrived at the front door and knocked. He heard a rustling, then the door opened revealing his mother. She looked up at him and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Hi, mom," Sora said, smiling.

His mother smiled back and pulled him into a warm hug. He hugged her back and could feel her trying to fight back her tears. She'd cried constantly since he'd first returned from the Realm of Darkness. Thanks to Namine's spell, she'd forgotten about him for a long time, but once her memory had returned, she'd felt horrible about having forgotten him. When he'd finally returned, she'd held him for what felt like an hour, but he'd appreciated every minute. He'd missed her more than he'd realized, and it still hurt him to come and go like he did. Now that he was coming and going while he trained, she was crying every time he arrived and left. He felt bad putting her through that, but he didn't have much choice.

She eventually released him, and he gestured to the young men behind him. "Mom, these are my friends Hayner and Pence."

The boys waved as they were introduced.

"Guys, this is my mom, Mei."

She hugged each of the boys briefly, then led the group into the house. She directed them to Sora's room, where Sora changed into dry clothes, then they all went back downstairs to talk to Mei.

The three boys talked with Mei for a long time, until the sun began to move towards the horizon.

The clock chimed the time, and Mei stood up. "Well, it looks like you boys should be headed to the beach. Wouldn't want you to be late for your friends." She ushered them to the door. The three boys offered their thanks for the warm welcome, then left the house. As Hayner and Pence made their way to the beach, Sora hung back.

"You guys go ahead," he said. "I forgot something."

He went back into the house and found his mom sitting quietly on the couch. She was crying.

"Hey," he said, not really knowing what to say.

She brushed the tears from her face, embarrassed at having been caught. "What are you doing here? You should be with your friends."

He sat next to her on the couch and took one of her hands in his. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

She sniffed. "I'm fine, Sora." She put her free hand on his face. "I'm glad you brought friends home. It shows me you're happy."

"Of course I'm happy, mom." He gave an exaggerated smile. "See?"

Mei laughed, but fresh tears appeared in her eyes. "It's just, when you came back, you were so grown up from what I remembered. It was still you, but you didn't seem like the child you were when you disappeared. I think since you came back, I haven't been able to see a little boy. You've been working so hard, sometimes I forget how young you are." She stopped, and wiped a fresh set of tears from her eyes. "But now, you bring your friends home for vacation and I remember the child I lost a few years ago. I remember how young you are and what you're trying to do out there. I remember what you're facing every time you go out, and I think 'No! He's just a child! He's just my baby!' It scares me."

Sora leaned over and pulled his mom into a hug. He could feel her sobbing against him, and he even felt his own eyes beginning to water. "Mom, it's going to be okay. I promise. I'm still your little boy, that will never change. But I'm not just a kid anymore. I'm strong, and I'm not alone. Riku and Kairi are with me, and Donald, Goofy, and the King. Together, we can face anything."

Mei took a deep breath while she held her son. "I know, Sora. I know." She pulled away from him and took his hands in hers. "I know you will be fine, but it's still hard. I think it always will be, but that's what it means to be a mother." She wiped a final set of tears from her eyes. She stood up. "Now, you need to go relax with your friends. I know you've been working hard, so take this time off to relax. Don't worry about me, I feel better already."

Sora followed her to the door. "Thanks for letting me stay here, mom."

She kissed him on the cheek before left. "Any time, dear. Now go have fun."

As he walked to the road from the front door, she called after him. "I love you, Sora."

He turned back to her with a smile. "Love you too, mom."


	2. Chapter 2

Sora was the last one to the beach. The others had already started a bonfire and were gathered around it. He joined Riku near a card table Wakka had set up.

"How's she doing?" Riku asked, not looking up from the fruit he was slicing for dinner.

"She's okay," Sora replied with a shrug. "She's worried about us, but no more than usual. I think she knows it's almost time for the big fight."

"Did you tell her that?"

"No, I think she can just tell. Mother's instinct, maybe."

Riku nodded.

Sora appreciated his concern. Riku had always been close to Mei. He and Sora had practically been brothers growing up, and Mei had treated him like her own son.

"How about your parents? Are they okay?"

"They're fine." Riku replied simply. "Worried, but fine."

The memories of Riku had never been erased, so his parents had lived for almost two years thinking he was dead. When he finally returned, he and they were so different that they'd never really become close again. They got along fine, but they'd all moved on from where they'd been when Riku disappeared. As a result, Riku didn't come home very often, and when he did, he spent most of his time alone.

"I think everyone is worried," Riku said. He looked at the group. His friends were having fun around the fire. Wakka was telling a story about surfing, and everyone was watching and laughing at his expressive storytelling. "Deep down, I think they're all a little uneasy."

"Well, that's why we're here, isn't it?" Sora asked in his usual upbeat manner. "To take our minds off things and have some fun."

"Yeah," Riku replied. He looked at his best friend. "What about you, Sora? Are you worried?"

"Me? Come on, Riku, you know me. I don't get worried."

"I know," Riku said knowingly. "So when you do get worried, I notice. What's going on Sora? You haven't been the same since the exam."

Sora sighed and looked at the ground. After a while, he answered. "The exam was the first time I failed."

Riku waited.

"I've never given in to the darkness before. That was the first time it ever got a hold on me." Just thinking about it brought the memories back. The cold sensation of the darkness tugging at his heart. The lull of sleep as Xehanort's plan threatened to consume him. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid I might not be enough to stop what's coming. Afraid I might not be able to protect what's important." He looked at Kairi, sitting in the sand, the glow of the fire reflecting in her blue-violet eyes.

Riku punched him on the shoulder. "Come on Sora. You know we're not gonna let that happen." He smiled. "Xehanort beat you. It happens. It happened to me. It happened to Mickey. But guess what? We've beaten him too. We stopped Ansem the heartless, and we stopped Xemnas. And now, we'll stop the old man too. And we'll do it together."

Sora took a deep breath, letting go of his worry. Riku's words helped more than he'd expected. "You're right," Sora finally said. "We're gonna be okay.

They watched the group around the fire for a while in silence until Riku spoke.

"Sorry for what I said about the paupu fruit in front of Kairi."

Sora turned to Riku. The apology was unexpected. "Don't worry about it," he replied after a moment. "It's not a big deal."

"No, it is," Riku insisted. "I shouldn't tease you like that. I know how you feel about her."

Sora felt the heat rising in his cheeks again. "I don't know what you mean." It was a weak protest, and he knew it.

"Fine," Riku said with a small smile. "Maybe you don't know how you feel, but I do. I'm not going to tease you about it." He paused. "Well, not much, at least."

Sora looked at Kairi again. As he watched her, she laughed, her smile big and her eyes bright. With the sun setting over the ocean behind her, she looked like a painting, but better.

"No, I know how I feel," he said in a shaky voice. As nervous as he was about it, it felt good to say out loud.

Riku nodded. "Good. Now you just need to make sure she knows it too."

Sora shook his head. "I can't do that," he protested. "What if she doesn't feel the same?"

Riku laughed. "Come on, Sora. Her letter to you found us all the way in the Realm of Darkness. I'm pretty sure that tells you everything you need to know."

Sora thought back to the letter. He still had it tucked away in his belongings. He'd taken it out during training and read it every few days. It reminded him of her.

He thought about all the time they'd spent together when they were young, the promise he'd made to return her lucky charm in Traverse Town, the letter that had rescued him from the darkness, the way she'd come to rescue him from the Organization. Through all of that, he came to a realization he'd subconsciously known for a long time: she was more important to him than anything. Being with her was what he wanted more than anything in all the worlds.

He took a deep breath and looked at Riku. "I'll do it. While were still here."

"Good," Riku said with a smile.

The bonfire was fun. The friends made kababs and s'mores, trading stories from their home worlds. They stayed until the stars came out and the fire died down, then made their way back to where they were staying, agreeing to meet on the play island the next day.

When Hayner, Pence, and Sora arrived at Sora's house, they crept inside so as not to wake Mei. The three of them went to Sora's room and changed into their boxers and pajama shirts.

"That was a good time," Hayner said. He was laying on the couch in Sora's room, arms tucked behind his head. "You islanders know how to party."

Pence sat on the air mattress, sorting out the pictures he'd taken that day and evening. "Yeah, it was a lot of fun."

Sora sat on his bed. He'd grown so much that it was almost too small for him, but he still fit if he curled up. "Wait until you guys see the play island. That's where the real fun is."

"Can't wait," Hayner said excitedly. He turned to Pence, who'd stopped on one picture and hadn't moved on. "Watcha' got there, Pence?" He snatched the picture away.

"Hey! Give it back!" Pence scrambled onto the couch and tried to grab the picture back, but Hayner was too agile.

"Well well," Hayner said excitedly looking at Pence. "I must say, I'm impressed."

"What is it?" Sora asked eagerly.

Hayner flicked the picture at him while Pence sat down on the couch, defeated.

Sora caught the picture and looked at it. It showed a lone figure: Rikku, the gullwing from Radiant Garden. The picture had been taken in front of the fire that night. Rikku had been sitting on a log alone, laughing, the light of the fire casting a soft orange light on her.

"Rikku?" Sora asked.

"Please don't say anything!" The look of desperation on Pence's face was so sincere, Sora felt bad for holding the picture. He handed it back before Hayner could take it again.

"I won't, I promise," Sora said reassuringly.

"I'm proud of you," Hayner said, clapping his friend on the back. "'Bout time you got a girlfriend."

Pence's face went beet red. "She's not my girlfriend," he said insistently.

"Not yet," Hayner replied confidently.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pence demanded nervously.

Hayner smiled. "It means you're going to ask her out before we leave, and she's going to say yes."

"What!?" The color drained from Pence's face.

The pink dawn sunlight streaming in through the open window woke Sora. He opened his eyes and sat up, stretching his arms and letting out a yawn. He'd slept better than he'd expected, and his dreams had been unusually peaceful. Pence and Hayner were still asleep, so he rose quietly and threw on a light shirt and shorts. He left his room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and crept out of the house. He did a few stretches, then began jogging towards the beach at a brisk pace. As he approached the pier, he heard another set of footsteps approaching from behind.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Kairi said cheerfully as she caught up to him and matched his pace.

"Hi," Sora said with a bright smile. He was glad she'd decided to join him today. They'd done a little training together under Master Yen Sid since he'd returned, but not as much as he would have liked. She'd gone running every morning with Riku as a warm up, and Sora had joined them as soon as he'd come back. "No Riku today?" Sora asked.

"I waited for him by his house, but he never came out. He must be sleeping in."

They reached the beach only to see that Kairi was wrong. Riku was there already, running along the waterline. Sora and Kairi sped up to catch him. His long strides meant Sora and Kairi had to move faster in order to keep up, but he didn't let up his speed.

"I was wondering if you two were coming," Riku said through controlled breaths.

"Sora overslept," Kairi said teasingly.

"Hey!" Sora objected. "You caught up to me on the way here. I got up at sunrise." As if to emphasize his point, he let out another big yawn.

Riku and Kairi laughed, then the trio continued their run. They ran up and down the beach until the orange sun was well above the horizon. When they finally slowed, they all took a few minutes to catch their breath. After a while, Riku held his hand out and summoned his keyblade. "How do you want to start," he asked, taking a few practice swings.

Sora summoned his own keyblade and spun it around a few times. "Your choice," he said, looking at Kairi.

She already had her blade ready. She thought for a moment, then decided. "Combat spellcasting."

Riku nodded and Sora smiled. Since she'd begun her training, Kairi had proved to be an adept mage. She had a talent for casting spells and loved to practice. Merlin had taken to training her and he suspected she would easily surpass Sora and Riku in terms of spell mastery before long. Her expertise with magic, however, only made her shortcomings in swordsmanship all the more apparent. She was more than a match for most low-level heartless and even held her own against any dusks they could find, but when it came to dueling she had serious problems. Master Yen Sid said she would get there, that it was only a matter of time and experience, but it still frustrated her immensely. She practiced her swordsmanship with Riku and Leon constantly, desperate to improve. When Sora had returned from his own training, he'd watched her struggling and had suggested a new approach. Together, he and Riku worked out a way to train her to integrate her spellcasting into sword combat. The techniques weren't especially innovative, Sora and Riku had mastered most of them a long time ago, but the training was helpful to Kairi and it made her a much more powerful duelist. She'd proven to be exceptionally creative when it came to mixing magic and swordplay, and both Sora and Riku were impressed with how powerful she was becoming.

The three friends lined up so they were facing down the length of the beach. "Okay," Riku began, raising his sword into his fighting stance. "We've already covered elemental strikes by infusing your keyblade, and we've talked about covering your body in power and using it to charge into combat. Now we can combine them." He raised his blade, and Sora watched as light energy gathered in the blade and around Riku's arm. Riku swung the blade downward, and in a sudden burst of energy flew forward. He somersaulted through the air, his blade cutting a swath through air and sand and the energy emanating from his body propelling him forward. After travelling a few meters in the blink of an eye, he stopped. The energy he'd gathered suddenly shifted from light to darkness. He reversed the grip on his keyblade, then began his somersault charge again in the reverse direction this time. His charge stopped where he'd initially started. The energy around him dissipated and he dropped to the ground in his ready stance. "You got it?"

Kairi stared at him, mouth agape.

Riku looked at her and started to laugh. Sora joined in.

"It's really not that hard," Sora said reassuringly. He raised his own sword and focused. He reached out for magical energy and felt it surge through him. He channeled it as lightning, forcing it into his arm and keyblade. He thrust his blade forward, releasing magical energy to push himself forward over the ground at an impossible speed. He flew a few meters forward, then planted his feet and brought his blade up in a lighting-fueled slash meant to knock an opponent off balance or into the air. Then he summoned a vast amount of electrical energy and poured it into his keyblade. He brought the weapon down, stabbing it into the sand and releasing the energy he'd gathered. Lightning discharged all around him, scattering imaginary opponents. The whole technique had taken less than a few seconds. Sora stood and looked at Kairi. "See? I know you can figure it out."

Kairi looked between him and Riku questioningly. "But what am I supposed to do? You guys did totally different things."

Riku shrugged. "What you do is up to you. We each have our own techniques." He planted his keyblade into the sand and held his hands in front of him for demonstration. A ball of light energy gathered in his right hand, a ball of darkness in his left. "I tend to use darkness and light in my techniques. Keeping Xehanort's heartless at bay, I learned how to control both." He lowered his hands and the energies disappeared.

"And I based my attack on one Riku used against me when we fought in Hollow Bastion," Sora said, remembering their fight before the final keyhole. "Then I combined it with some of the techniques Cloud uses."

"The point is," Riku said, picking his sword up again, "your techniques can be whatever you want. We can show you the basics, but you should experiment and play around until you get something you like."

"Okay," Kairi said after a moment, clearly still unsure of what she should be doing.

"You'll get it," Riku said confidently. He lowered his hand and his keyblade dissipated. He began to walk away toward the pier.

"Where are you going?" Sora asked.

"Mickey wanted me to call and check in every day," Riku replied coolly. "I need to call him from the ship. You stay here and help Kairi practice." As he passed, Riku threw Sora a wink and a smirk, nodding in Kairi's direction.

Sora felt himself blush.

Once Riku had left, Sora and Kairi were quiet.

"So, can you explain how to begin one of these moves?" Kairi asked.

"Sure," Sora replied, eager to have something to focus on. He raised his sword and began to gather magical energy. "Start by pouring your magic into your keyblade, like you would when you want to do a thunder strike."

Kairi raised her own blade, copying what he was doing. He could see energy beginning to collect in her weapon.

"Now at the same time, you put some of your magic into your own body, like when you are preparing to do a charge attack." He hoped he wasn't sounding like an idiot. He'd never been properly trained, so he wasn't very good at putting his thoughts into words. Riku had always been the better teacher.

Kairi copied him, splitting her magical energy into her body and her weapon.

"Now," Sora said, "this is the part where you get creative. You need to release each of the energies and direct it to get the result you want." He crouched, then jumped, releasing the energy stored in his body to push himself several meters into the air. At the same time, he brought his keyblade around himself in a circle, releasing the energy stored within as a burst of flame. The resulting attack was a spinning jump wreathed in flame. It would have had limited use in the field, but it was good for practice. Sora fell to the ground and watched Kairi.

Kairi crouched as he had done, then jumped and released her bodily magic, jumping even higher than he had. As she rose, she tried to bring her sword around in the same spinning motion as he had, but she got a late start. As a result, she was near the top of her jump before she started to twist around and she hadn't finished by the time she landed. Unable to come out of her spin, she lost her footing on the loose sand and fell down.

"Not bad," Sora said with an earnest smile. He walked up to her and held a hand out to help her up.

"I couldn't do it," Kairi said, disheartened.

"Neither could I at first," Sora replied.

Kairi looked up at him.

"It's true," Sora said. "It took me weeks to figure this stuff out. Donald didn't think I'd ever get it." He smiled, remembering the duck's face when Sora had finally gotten the move right. "You're learning a lot faster than I did."

Kairi smiled. "That's because I have such good teachers."

Sora grinned his goofy grin and rolled his eyes. "Well, I didn't want to say anything, but I am pretty amazing."

Kairi smacked him in the stomach and laughed. Then she took his hand and pulled herself up.

They returned to practice. After another dozen attempts, Kairi was able to time her jump and strike together so she could replicate Sora's move.

"Very good," Sora said brightly after she successfully performed the maneuver. "I'd say that's a good spot to stop for today. Tomorrow you can work on changing up your movements and spells. I bet you figure out a technique all your own before we head back to see the King and Master Yen Sid."

Kairi smiled and joined Sora as they headed towards the pier. "Hey, Sora?"

He turned his head to look at her. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for what you said earlier. I really needed to hear that."

Sora smiled at her. "You don't need to thank me. It's true. You're really good at this."

Kairi smiled. "Thanks." As they walked along the beach, she looked out over the waves. "It's just, sometimes I worry about what's coming. I look at you and Riku and I see what you guys have done, how strong you've become. I want to help. I know I can help, but I look at what we're up against and I wonder if I can really get strong enough to make a difference."

Sora stopped and grabbed Kairi's arm. "Kairi, you already have made a difference." He turned so he was staring directly into her eyes. "When I was in Castle Oblivion, you fought your way in and found me. You got all the way through that castle without a keyblade, then you got one and fought the heartless with me and Riku." He smiled, remembering seeing her call out to him before he defeated Xigbar, remembering how she inspired him. "And before that, in Hollow Bastion, you brought me back from being a heartless. I don't know how you did it, but you gave me back my light." He had to suppress a shudder as the memories of that time as a heartless threatened to come flooding back. "Kairi, you're one of the strongest people I know. I know you can help us."

Kairi had listened to all of it, meeting Sora's gaze. Her face was bright red when he'd finished and she turned away.

Sora was quiet, waiting for her to respond.

Kairi turned back with a warm smile. Her eyes looked wet. "Thanks, Sora." She threw her arms around him in a hug. "You always know what I need to hear."

She pulled away from him and started walking towards the pier again.

Something stirred inside Sora's heart. "Wait, Kairi."

She stopped and turned her head.

"I, uh…" Sora tried to spit out his words. "It wanted to say…" I love you. He struggled to say it. He could hear the words in his head. He tried to force them out, but they wouldn't come. He met her eyes, and he could tell the moment had passed. He sighed. "I just wanted to say you're welcome."

She smiled. "Come on. Let's get cleaned up. I'm sure everyone's up and ready to have some fun by now."


	3. Chapter 3

Kairi was wrong about one thing: not everyone was up by the time they returned from training. Sora entered his room to find Hayner still asleep on the couch. Pence was awake and sitting at Sora's desk, eating toast Mei had made.

"Where were you?" Pence asked between mouthfuls.

"Training on the beach," Sora replied. He looked at Hayner and smiled wickedly. He signaled to Pence to remain quiet, then held his hand out and reached out for his magic. He cast a weak blizzard spell and formed a snowball in his hand. He reached over and slowly pulled the blanket off of Hayner. In a flash he brought the snow down on Hayner's exposed back.

Hayner let out a yelp of surprise and jumped off the couch. He danced and jumped around trying manically to shake the snow from his back. All the while, Sora and Pence rolled on the floor laughing at his antics.

Hayner eventually stopped jumping around and looked at his friends with an annoyed grimace. "Alright, you've had your fun. You know I'm gonna get you back for that."

Pence whipped a mirthful tear from his eye. "I don't care. It was worth it."

The three friends got cleaned up and dressed for the day, the made their way downstairs.

Mei met them in the entryway. "You boys have fun today," she said with a smile. She held a large basket out to Sora. "I packed some drinks and lunch for the beach."

Sora took the basket and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks mom."

Mei bid them farewell then the friends headed down to the pier. There, they met up with the girls who'd already started to pack the boats with gear.

"Where're Riku and the others," Sora asked, looking around.

"He and Lea went with Tidus and Wakka a few minutes ago," Selphie answered. She settled into her boat with Yuna and Rikku.

Sora was glad the islanders had gotten bigger boats since when he'd been a kid. Ferrying everyone out to the play island in the little boats they had used as children would have taken forever.

"We can take one more," Selphie said, gesturing to an empty seat next to Rikku.

"Pence will take it!" Hayner declared with a devious smile. He pushed his friend towards the boat.

Pence began to stammer a protest and drag his feet.

Hayner's smile only grew. "Payback for this morning," he said with a smirk as he shoved Pence into the boat.

Pence tried to protest, but Rikku interrupted him. "What's wrong Pencie? Don't want to sit in the girls boat?"

Pence's face turned a bright shade of red and he looked away as he took his seat.

Sora didn't know to laugh or cry for his friend. Rikku was wearing a very complimentary yellow bikini and tan shorts. With her hair done up in ponies and braids, she looked absolutely stunning, and she wasn't shy about showing off. Pence, on the other hand, huddled in his seat, apparently trying to simultaneously look at and avoid looking at Rikku.

Hayner laughed as the boat set out, dooming his friend to a very uncomfortable ride.

Olette smacked Hayner on the shoulder. "That was a little mean, don't you think?"

"Oh, he'll thank me later," Hayner replied confidently.

The remaining four, Hayner, Olette, Sora, and Kairi piled their stuff into a boat and sat down. Sora used a basic wind spell to push the boat a long towards the Play Island. Kairi and Olette sat in the front, talking about the islands what grew there. Sora caught Hayner glancing at Olette and couldn't blame him for doing so.

Olette had traded her normal tank and capris for an orange two-piece swimsuit with a tan skirt tied around her waist. She'd tied her brown hair into pigtails. Overall, she looked really cute.

Kairi looked good too. She wore a light pink sundress over her swimsuit and she wore her hair loose. As she smiled and chatted with her friend, Sora couldn't help but stare at her.

When they finally made it to shore, the girls climbed onto the dock and the boys handed the baskets and bags up to them. With the boat tied up, the friends walked along the dock to the shore. The familiar beach made Sora remember the days he'd spent here years ago, playing and fighting with his friends. It felt good to finally return.

The passengers from the earlier two boats had already begun setting up their gear for the day. Wakka and Tidus were setting up beach umbrellas for shade. Lea and Riku were working up a fire that wouldn't go out. Pence had started setting up the drink and food coolers with Rikku's help. Yuna and Selphie were spreading out towels for everyone on the sand.

Kairi reached into one of the bag's she'd brought and produced a large blanket. Olette helped her spread it out on the sand for picnic seating while Hayner and Sora pulled driftwood logs from the shoreline to use as chairs around the fire.

Once everyone had finished setting up, Riku ran back to his boat. He returned with a small cooler. He opened it and passed out the contents: bars of sea salt ice cream. Once everyone had one, he raised his in the air. "I'd like to propose a toast."

Everyone raised their ice cream.

Riku continued. "To our vacation, may it be fun and memorable. And to each of you," he looked around the circle at everyone, "thank you all for being here with us." He looked at Sora and pointed with his ice cream. "And, last but not least, to the man who thought this whole trip up. Thanks, Sora. I think we all needed this."

Everyone cheered, then took a bite of their ice cream.

When everyone finished eating, the real fun began. Wakka ran into the shack near the shore and produced a volleyball net. They ran into the ocean and set it up in the water, ready for a game. The group formed teams of six after convincing Lea to play despite his dismissive attitude. The teams were Hayner, Olette, Pence, Yuna, Rikku and Lea versus Sora, Riku, Kairi, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka.

Wakka served first. He threw the ball up, and bashed it across the court with enough strength that even Sora had trouble following it. Even so, Rikku intercepted it, saving her team. Yuna then set the ball to Hayner who, despite never having played water volleyball before, spiked it across the net. Tidus jumped up in a flash and blocked the spike at the net, knocking it down to fall gently in front of Hayner who couldn't recover from his spike.

After several rounds, it became apparent that the islanders had a noticeable advantage. Wakka and Tidus were unbelievably fast in the water and their arms delivered the ball like canons to the opposing team. Riku was no slouch either, and he proved able to serve with devastating accuracy. On the other side, however, Yuna and Rikku were quick and worked in almost perfect sync.

It was a fun match, but the islanders were soon one point shy of the goal. Selphie served the ball in a quick but accurate shot to the back of the opposing team. Lea stopped the ball and Olette set it to Rikku. Rikku spiked it down, but Kairi saved it. Sora then bumped the ball over the net in hopes to catch the other team off guard. It almost worked, but Yuna bumped it up at the last minute and Hayner set the ball to Lea who spiked it across the net. Tidus barely managed to save it, and Wakka set the ball to Riku who jumped incredibly high and wound up with all his strength to spike the ball. He brought his arm around and made contact with the ball. It shot from his hand faster than it had moved all morning. Riku had been up near the net, and his spike shot almost directly downward on the other side. The ball moved like lightning through the air, rocketing towards the surface. It nearly hit when, to everyone's surprise, Pence, who until this point had mostly been avoiding the ball, dove in what seemed like slow motion under the ball. His hands were outstretched, but he'd lost his footing on the dive and his torso fell too far forward. He caught the speeding ball with his face, shooting it up and back over the net where it landed unceremoniously between Tidus and Wakka.

Pence, on the other hand, fared a little worse. The impact of the ball on his face snapped his head back and crushed his nose. He stumbled for a moment, dizzy and disoriented, before sinking under the water.

Hayner shouted and dove after his friend, pulling his head above the surface and dragging him to shore. Everyone followed and gathered around them.

Pence coughed up a little water, but after a moment his vision cleared. "Did I save it?" He asked in a dazed voice.

Hayner gave him a confused look. "What?"

"The ball," Pence insisted. "Did I stop the spike?"

Hayner began to laugh, and soon everyone joined in. "Yeah, man. You stopped the spike."

"Did he ever!" Rikku exclaimed excitedly. "That was the best save I've ever seen!" She helped pull Pence to his feet then hugged him. "That was amazing!"

The game ended then, everyone content to declare Pence the winner.

From there, the group set up a few more games. Over the past few years, Wakka and Tidus had filled the shack on the island with a myriad of beach games. Before lunch, the group had started games of horseshoes, soccer, and even touch football.

When everyone broke for lunch, they all sat on the blanket or around the fire. Rikku and Wakka produced hotdogs for everyone and cooked them over the fire. Pence retreated behind his camera and took pictures of everyone until Rikku took it from him and started taking selfies with everyone including Pence. Yuna and Tidus had hit it off and were talking together. Hayner and Olette had joined with Wakka and were explaining the Struggle tournament. Kairi and Riku were chatting with Selphie about what had happened on the island since they had gone off for training. Lea had wandered off on his own and sat looking out over the ocean while he ate.

Sora noticed Lea, and made his way over to sit next to him.

"Hey Lea," Sora said.

Lea looked at him dismissively. "What? Afraid I might be lonely?"

"No, just thought I'd come say hi," Sora replied cheerfully. Other people might have been put off by Lea's rude demeanor, but Sora knew the redheaded man only used it to hide his kind personality. Sora couldn't remember much from Roxas's time with the Organization, but he could remember that Axel, and therefore Lea, was a good friend.

Lea huffed to himself, then returned to looking at the ocean. He sat for a while, seemingly content with the silence, then spoke again. "You know, I used to have a life not unlike this one."

Sora looked at his friend. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Lea replied, not looking away from the horizon. "Back on Radiant Garden, before the whole Organization thing, I used to hang out like this with my friends." He smiled.

Sora wanted to press him for more, but he knew Lea wasn't normally one to share, so he decided to just listen.

"There were a few of us," Lea went on. "We got into a lot of trouble, but it was a good time. I remember one guy came through and taught me a lesson. I tried picking on him and he rung my bell." He chuckled. "Ventus, was his name, I think."

Something in Sora sparked. That name seemed familiar somehow.

"He looked a lot like Roxas, now that I think about it. Or, I guess, Roxas looked a lot like him." He drifted off again. "I still remember the day I met Roxas. I thought he was Ventus's Nobody and I kept thinking to myself 'No, no, no! How could he get himself sucked up in all of this?' Of course, later I realized he wasn't the same guy, just looked like him. I didn't feel so bad after that." He turned to look at Sora. "I suppose that sounds cold doesn't it?"

Sora shrugged. "I don't know. I think it makes sense. Ventus was your friend. You knew him. You didn't want a friend to become a Nobody."

"Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that." Lea turned back to face the ocean. "But, the thing is, Roxas wasn't my only friend in the Organization."

Sora nodded. "Saix."

Lea nodded with a grim smile. "Isa. You know, when we opened our hearts to darkness, I never had a second though. Ansem, Xehanort, he promised us power and immortality. We thought we'd live forever. Once we were members of the organization, it was too late. We knew we'd made a mistake, but it was too late to care. We decided we wanted to take over the organization, just the two of us. I thought maybe we could make it like the old days." He hung his head. "I was wrong."

Sora waited, hoping Lea would continue.

"Ever since I came back, I've been wondering about something." He ran a hand under one eye, where his tattoos used to mark his face. "When I first saw Roxas I felt sad. I know Nobodies can't feel, but I felt sad. I didn't want that fate for my friend. But, looking back, I don't ever remembering feeling that for Isa. I never felt sad for him, for what our greed had done to him. The first time I ever felt sad for him was in the Realm of Sleep when I saw him with Xehanort" He turned to Sora again. "What do you think that means?"

Sora looked down thoughtfully. "I don't know," he answered. He thought for a few moments. "I think I get it, though. You and Isa made gave in to the darkness together. You knew the darkness in each other's hearts. You knew how you got where you were. You'd already come to terms with what you were and the consequences it led you to. It's not that different from how you never felt sad for yourself, I guess. Then, when you saw him in the Realm of Sleep, you saw for the first time where his own darkness had taken him. You weren't with him when he fell this time, so now you have to face the fact that your friend was consumed by a darkness that you overcame." Sora glanced back at Riku. "I know something about that."

Lea looked at Sora for a while before turning back to the ocean. "You know, I think I had you wrong."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Lea replied with a small smile. "I thought you were just some dumb goofball, but I guess there's something else in there after all."

"Oh, come on," Sora said in mock protest. "I work very hard at being a goofball." He gave a huge forced grin.

Lea laughed and smacked him on the shoulder. "And, there he is."

After lunch, the fun started back up again in earnest. The girls, except Rikku, all decided to lay out in the sun and get a tan. Tidus, Wakka, and Hayner grabbed wooden swords from the shack and decided to hold a struggle tournament after convincing Lea to join them. Sora and Riku decided to abstain from the tournament in the interest of fairness, and instead found a Frisbee and started a game of catch in the surf with Rikku and Pence.

As he played, Sora watched the struggle tournament with some interest. The first match was Tidus versus Hayner. They were fairly evenly matched. Tidus was faster and in better shape, but Hayner had been practicing for struggle matches for years and had more experience. Overall, Sora was impresses with both of them. Their fight lasted only a minute, but it was obvious they'd both improved their swordsmanship since the last time Sora had seen them. In the end, Tidus won, but only by a small margin, and the two of them agreed to practice together again.

Wakka and Lea fought in the second match. Wakka was bulky and strong, but swords had never been his weapon of choice. On the other hand, Lea was light and agile, but his fighting style, like Kairi's, usually relied heavily on magic which was banned by the rules of the tournament. On top of that, Lea still wasn't very experienced with sword fighting. Their match lasted longer than the first. Lea led Wakka on a chase up and down the beach, constantly ducking just out of the way of Wakka's strikes. Wakka, for his part, blocked most of Lea's strikes, and simply brushed off the ones that did connect. Eventually, however, Wakka's bulk managed to catch up with him. He started to slow down, and Lea pressed the attack. Lea landed a series of quick blows to end the match.

Sora watched as Lea helped Wakka to his feet. 'He's gotten better,' he thought to himself. 'He fights smart. He knows how to take advantage of his speed.'

The final match, Tidus versus Lea, was over rather quickly. Both fighters were fast, and Tidus had enough endurance to keep pace with Lea's running. Lea was more agile, but in the end it wasn't enough. Tidus landed a heavy hit to Lea's body, ending the match.

Sora watched as Lea stood up and shook Tidus's hand, congratulating him. Yuna, who'd apparently been watching the match, applauded for Tidus who turned to her and gave an overly elegant bow.

Before long, everyone gathered on the beach again. They all decided to take a walk around the island. So far, they'd stayed on the side of the island that had the seaside shack and the large main beach, so the islanders led the way to the back side of the island. Sora, Riku, and Kairi stayed to the back of the group.

As they walked, Sora was struck by the smallness of the island. He'd known it was small back in the day, of course, but after seeing the vast expanses of the Pride Lands or the mountains of the Land of Dragons, the diminutive size of the islands seemed almost suffocating. His face must have shown his feelings, because Riku clapped him on the shoulder.

"It's different isn't it," Riku asked resignedly.

"Yeah," Sora answered, both depressed and a little confused. "The islands are the same, but they feel different somehow. Like… I don't know."

"Like we don't really belong here anymore," Riku finished grimly.

Sora sighed, realizing what Riku described sounded right. "Yeah, maybe."

"Hey," Kairi said, taking the hands of her friends, "don't talk like that. You guys are always welcome here."

Sora squeezed her hand. "I know, it's just… It's hard to come back after everything that's happened. Knowing there's so much out there, it's hard to just stay on the islands."

Riku nodded. "The islands are the same, but we've changed. We're not the same kids we were when we left."

"I don't know about that," Kairi said with a soft smile. She looked at each of them. "I know we've all grown up, but I still see the same boys you always were." She squeezed Riku's arm. "You're still too serious, always focused and thinking about what lies ahead. You still see the big picture." She turned to Sora and ran a hand through his wild hair, messing it up further. "And you still goof off and have fun. You still make us smile." She gestured to herself and Riku. "I know you guys have seen a lot, but you're still the boys I knew growing up."

Sora smiled. He hoped she was right. He wanted her to be right. Deep down, though, he worried. The past three years had changed him, even if on the outside he seemed the same. He worried now, where before he would have been content not to think about problems until he faced them directly. He longed for the freedom he felt when he was travelling among the worlds, meeting new friends and facing new dangers. At night, when he slept, he could feel fear and doubt clawing at him. Even with his own mother things felt different. He couldn't talk with her the way he used to.

He looked at Kairi and Riku. They were the only ones he ever felt the same around. Despite everything they'd seen, everything that had happened to them, they were still friends. Riku was still the strong one who tried to take care of everything on his own. Kairi was still the supportive adventurous one, ready to go along with anything the other two did and not fall behind. And Sora was the fun one, like Kairi said. He was the one who smiled and laughed, and when he was with his friends his happiness came naturally. He didn't have to force it, like he did when he was putting on a brave face with the others. He still worried about the future, but the fears seemed a little less real when he was with Riku and Kairi.

He took a deep breath. "Maybe you're right, Kairi," he smiled at her. "Maybe we haven't changed that much. It might not feel the same, but this is still home."

Riku looked at him hesitantly, but eventually flashed a hopeful half-smile.

The three friends followed the larger group through the door that led to the other side of the island. There, everyone took turns climbing up the wooden tower and riding the zip line to the shore. Wakka and Tidus had fixed up the old wooden bridge so that it didn't collapse like it used to, and the grove of palm trees had grown to provide a nice amount of shade for everyone. Before long, Kairi was telling stories about the races Riku and Sora used to have from one side of the island to the other, and Hayner demanded a new race for everyone. Sora, Riku, and Lea abstained, so Tidus, Wakka, and Hayner lined up. Kairi signaled for the race to start and the three young men took off. The girls all cheered, Yuna for Tidus, Olette for Hayner, and Rikku and Selphie for Wakka. Hayner and Tidus quickly outpaced Wakka. Hayner made it to the tower and began climbing it, forcing the others to go around. He reached the star tree first, but fell as he jumped into the treetops. Tidus landed his jumps and Wakka was close behind. Hayner ran along the shore and caught Tidus as he reached the bridge. They both put on an extra burst of speed as they rushed towards the finish line. At the last moment, Hayner dove with his arms outstretched, reaching as far forward as he could. He fell into the sand with a muffled thump as Pence's camera flashed. Everyone gathered around Pence as the photo developed, anxious to see the result of the race. Hayner dusted himself off and shoved to the front of the group, anxious to see the picture. The image showed Tidus running full tilt, but just in front of him, Hayner's head and arms crossed out of the image.

"We have our winner!" Pence declared as he grabbed Hayner's hand and held it high.

Hayner shouted in triumph and pumped his fist in the air. Olette ran up to him and threw her arms around him, letting out a scream of joy. Then, in front of everyone, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

Hayner froze, trying to process what had happened. Olette seemed to freeze as well. She let go of Hayner, then stood awkwardly next to him, her face turning bright red.

Pence started to laugh. "It's about time," he said once he stopped.

Hayner and Olette both looked down at their feet, embarrassed.

Kairi, clearly taking pity on her them spoke up. "How about another race," she suggested, tuning to Sora and Riku. "You two have a bet to settle, if I remember right."

Sora turned to Riku with a smile. "How about it, Riku?"

Riku smiled confidently and crossed his arms. "Alright, but how about we give them a show? No restrictions. Use whatever magic you want. First one to the tree and back wins."

Sora grinned with excitement. "You're on!"

The two of them lined up with Kairi ready to give the start signal. The rest of the group formed up behind them. Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, and Lea grouped up behind Riku and cheered him on, while Yuna, Rikku, Hayner, Pence and Olette cheered threw their support behind Sora.

Kairi looked at each of her friends with an eager smile. "You ready?"

Sora nodded without taking his eyes off the bridge ahead of him. Riku glanced at Sora then nodded with a smile.

Kairi swung her arm down. "Then go!"

Sora took off with all the strength he had. He took a few powerful strides, then summoned his magic and propelled himself forward in a power-infused twisting dive which carried him over the bridge. To one side, he could see Riku keeping pace with him, keyblade in hand, bursting forward with a magical charge similar to the one Sora had shown Kairi that morning. They passed the tower and cleared the small cliff when something caught up to Sora on his other side. He turned his heat to see Kairi passing him, riding a trail of ice she'd formed with a blizzard spell, propelling herself forward by firing magical energy behind her with her blade. She practically flew up the hill to the star tree. As she tagged it her ice path dissipated and the spared a quick teasing smile at the boys before charging away over the tops of the palm trees. Sora reached the tree next and tagged it. He let his spiraling dive stop as he turned around and jumped onto the first tree. Suddenly Riku flew past him. He was wreathed in dark energy. He held his sword in front of him and flew forward in a series of explosive bursts that Sora recognized from when they fought in Hollow Bastion. Riku caught up to Kairi and passed her, but when she reached the sand again she made another ice path and took off after him again, gaining rapidly. Out of other options, Sora reached inside of himself for another source of power. He tapped into the energy and felt it explode out from within him. Suddenly he was floating in the air with Oblivion and Oathkeeper hovering behind him. He threw himself forward, casting all of his magical energy backwards to push him faster. He threw more and more energy backwards as he hurtled through the air, catching up to his friends. As the trio approached the finish line, the group of onlookers scattered, afraid to get in the way of the race. Sora, Riku and Kairi rocketed in towards the finish line. Determined not to lose, Sora poured every ounce of energy he had into a final burst of speed. Kairi responded in kind and blasted herself forward on her ice trail, with Riku keeping up with her. They all crossed the finish line in a finish line and Riku regained his footing, allowing his power to dissipate.

Sora and Kairi weren't so lucky. The pair careened into the water, Sora tucking his body underneath Kairi's to shield her. The water felt like concrete against his back and he thought he might pass out, but the water slowed them down and they eventually stopped. Sora let her go and they both swam toward the surface. As his head came above water, Sora took in a deep breath, then turned until he could see shore. They'd flown almost twenty meters into the water, and Riku and the others were running to the beach. Sora waived a hand at them, letting them know he was okay.

He turned to Kairi, who was treading water next to him. "Maybe we got a little carried away," he said with a sheepish grin.

She giggled. "Maybe."

They swam back to shore where Riku met them, concern written on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Who won?!" They demanded in unison.

Riku, surprised by their question, didn't answer. The rest of the group was quiet for a moment.

"I think you tied," Rikku piped up.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Riku lost, but I think you two tied," Rikku clarified.

Sora smiled and turned to Kairi, whose expression matched his own. "I can live with that," he said.

She nodded. "Me too."


	4. Chapter 4

Everyone decided to end the races on a high note and returned to the other side of the island. On the way, Sora pulled Kairi aside.

"Hey, Kairi."

She turned to him.

"What you did back there, with the ice trail, that was awesome. Where'd you learn that?"

She smiled, embarrassed, and looked down. "I didn't really learn it anywhere. I kind of… made it up."

"Really?" Sora asked, impressed and surprised.

"Yeah." She dragged her foot absently against the sand. "I practiced it when I was with Merlin."

"That's amazing," Sora said with an earnest smile. "You should show me again tomorrow. I'd really like to learn it."

Kairi met his eyes with a shy smile. "You think it's that cool."

"I think it's great, Kairi. You were as fast as me in my best drive form. And you figured it out all by yourself. You're incredible." He stopped, realizing what he'd just said. He'd meant to say it's incredible, but he'd misspoken.

Kairi smiled, apparently not realizing the significance of what he'd let slip. "Thanks," she said, tilting her head in a cute way as she smiled at him.

The two of them caught up with the group as they returned to the beach near the shack. At that point, the group split up and found different ways to have fun. Tidus and Yuna challenged Wakka and Rikku to a doubles match of ocean volleyball. Lea laid down for a nap in the shade and Selphie decided to lay out and tan some more. Riku took a fishing pole from the shack and sat on the dock to try and catch dinner.

Kairi offered to take Hayner and Olette around the other parts of the island and tell them about what it was like growing up there. Hayner didn't seem too excited, but Olette like the idea so he went with it. Sora went with them and grabbed Pence who'd been watching the volleyball game with a sullen expression on his face. The five of them walked up from the beach and towards the big tree. Sora and Kairi told stories about how they used to play in the tree house. They talked about the big wooden ship's hull the adults had salvaged and turned into a deck for the kids before any of them were born. Sora recounted how they'd built the raft over a few months, finding the materials, gathering supplies, planning. Kairi made sure to point out how much of the work Riku had actually done and how much time she and Sora had spent goofing off. The three listeners all laughed. As they walked back towards the beach, Kairi stopped near the base of the tree. She seemed to think for a moment before moving on.

Sora realized what she'd been thinking about. 'She must have been thinking about showing them the secret place.' He was glad she hadn't. It wasn't so much of a secret any more. Almost every kid on the islands had known about it. Even so, it was something he didn't want to share with just anyone. He still remembered when he and Kairi had drawn pictures of each other on the wall. Her picture of him had been so neat and clean. His picture of her had been a mess, but she'd like it anyway. He thought back to the day the islands had been lost to the darkness. He'd drawn himself sharing a paupu fruit with her. After the islands were destroyed, he'd forgotten about it, but when he came back and explored the cave, he found that someone had added to the drawing again. Now Kairi was sharing a paupu fruit as well. He didn't know who had done the drawing, but he hoped it was Kairi herself. Whoever it was, he was glad they'd done it.

Kairi led the group through the shack to the bridge that led to the small island off the shore. They crossed the bridge and Sora hopped up onto his seat on the crooked tree.

"This is beautiful," Olette said, staring out over the seemingly endless ocean.

"Isn't it?" Kairi said as she climbed up on the tree next to Sora. "We used to sit out here before everything happened," she said, referring to herself, Sora, and Riku. "We used to watch the sunset together, talking about what it would be like if we ever got to another world." She frowned as she stared absently toward the horizon. "Looking back, it wasn't at all what we thought it would be like."

Sora felt a pang of pity for her. He knew what she was feeling. It was hard to look back and remember wanting to leave the islands when leaving had caused so much pain for the three of them. He reached over and touched her hand. "It wasn't all bad, though," he said. He gestured towards Hayner, Pence, and Olette. "I mean, if we never left, we wouldn't have met you guys, or any of our other friends either."

Kairi smiled, her melancholy driven away. "That's right. The worlds aren't what we expected, but I guess there better in some ways."

The five friends were quiet for a while, until Pence spoke up. "What are those weird-shaped yellow things in that tree?" He was looking at the top of the tree on which Sora and Kairi sat, towards several yellow star-shaped fruit hanging amid the leaves.

Kairi followed his gaze and smiled. "That's the paupu fruit. They're native to these islands. There's an old story about them. It says if two people share one, their destinies become entwined together and they'll never be apart, no matter what." As she recited the legend her eyes took on a faraway look, as if she were dreaming.

Selphie sighed. "Sounds romantic." She hugged Hayner's arm. "Have you ever shared one with someone?"

Kairi looked away, a blush playing at her cheeks. "No. Not yet."

"What about you, Sora? You ever share one with someone?" Hayner asked.

Sora turned to him, surprised. "What, me? No I…" He stumbled over his words. "I haven't either." He tried to avoid Kairi's gaze inconspicuously, but wasn't sure if he was successful or not.

"Well," Hayner said with a smile, "maybe Pencie here should give it a try. It sure couldn't hurt."

"Pence?" Olette asked, confused. "Who would he share it with?"

"Hayner!" Pence exclaimed, then covered his mouth. He looked out at the volleyball game in the surf, clearly hoping none of them had heard him.

Olette saw where he was looking, then smiled excitedly. "Which one is it?" she demanded, letting go of Hayner and walking over to Pence. "Come on, you can tell me. Unlike some people," she threw Hayner a scornful look, "I can keep a secret."

Pence sighed, defeated. "Rikku."

Olette let out a small squeal and looked out at Rikku and the others playing volleyball.

"I didn't think you were into this whole secret crush thing," Hayner said to Olette in a semi-mocking tone.

"All girls like this sort of thing," Olette replied dismissively. "Just because I spend all my time with you two doesn't mean I don't like girly things."

Kairi nodded and hopped down from the tree. "That's right." She walked over to Pence. "Don't worry. We won't tell anybody."

"It's not like it matters," Pence said dejectedly. "It's not like she'd be interested in me anyway."

"Why not?" Olette asked, hands on her hips.

Pence nodded towards the volleyball game. "Look who she's hanging out with. I can't compete with Wakka. He's big and strong and fun, and I'm just… me."

"Oh, come on man!" Hayner said, throwing an arm around his friend's shoulder. "Don't talk like that. You're cool. You saved the volleyball game yesterday, remember. She noticed that."

"That was an accident," Pence lamented. "I couldn't do that again if I tried."

"Well there's more than that," Sora said, joining the others on the sand. "You're smart. You got us into Diz's computer. I don't know anyone who could have done that except for maybe Chip, Dale, and Tron."

"That's right," Olette continued. "And you were the one who had us look around the abandoned mansion after Axel kidnapped Kairi."

"I… guess," Pence said after a moment. "But come on, look at me. There's no way she'd pick me over him." He turned and looked at the game again. Wakka was currently serving, and he jumped absurdly high to do so despite his well-muscled physique.

"Hey, come on," Kairi said encouragingly. "I think you're plenty handsome. And anyway, looks aren't everything. Wakka is nice, but I know him. He can be stubborn and thick-headed when he wants to be. You've got a kind heart and you're open minded. I think you've got a good chance." She smiled knowingly. "Besides, I think there might be something else acting in your favor."

Pence looked at her and tilted his head, curious. "What's that?"

"Wakka's already with someone." Kairi giggled as Pence's face lit up like he'd just heard he'd won a lottery.

"Really?" He asked in a mix of hope and excitement.

Kairi nodded. "Her name's Lulu. She lives here on the islands, but she doesn't like the beach. She doesn't come out here very often."

Sora remembered Lulu. The same age as Wakka, she was a bit of an oddball on the island. She mostly stayed inside and read books or made dolls from scratch, although Kairi said she'd begun to learn magic after forcing Riku to teach her the basics when he'd been home fetching Kairi for Yen Sid. The fact that she'd been able to force Riku to do anything proved just how intimidating she was, and Sora hoped that Wakka knew what he was getting into.

Pence smiled, his eyes full of equal parts hope and determination.

Hayner clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, man, I think this whole trip just got a lot more interesting."

Before long, everyone convened around the fire for dinner. Riku had caught several fish of varying sizes, and he and Wakka cleaned them. Tidus had brought some meat and vegetables from town, so he made kababs with Yuna. Kairi, Selphie, and Olette collected handfuls of fruit from the trees around the island. Sora took Hayner and climbed some trees to gather coconuts.

As the sun was beginning to set, everyone found their seats on the blankets and logs around the bonfire. Food was passed around and everyone had their fill. They swapped stories and told jokes as the sky went from gold to orange to red. Sora sat on one of the logs next to Kairi. The heat of the fire brought a natural flush to his cheeks and the constant laughter he was sharing with his friends brought tears to his eyes. He looked up after a while and noticed that the sky had gone from red to purple and stars were becoming visible just over the tops of the trees. He felt a light weight pressing against his shoulder, and turned to see Kairi leaning against him. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing softly, sound asleep. Sora felt the blush in his cheeks rise even higher. He looked over at Riku, unsure what to do, but the older boy just smiled at him. Sora just decided to freeze where he was and let Kairi continue to sleep uninterrupted. Soon, however, he felt the cold night air beginning to crawl across his skin. He thought it might be just him until Kairi began to shiver. He was at a loss for what to do until Riku brought a blanket over and draped it around them.

"Thanks," Sora said.

"Don't worry about it," Riku replied coolly, taking his place across the fire next to Lea and Wakka.

Sora and Kairi weren't the only ones with a blanket. Tidus and Yuna shared one, as did Hayner and Olette. Rikku had her own, but she sat next to Pence who'd dug s'more ingredients out of the basket Mei had sent and was roasting one marshmallow for each of them. Sora smiled when he saw that. Pence hadn't made any advances, but it was nice to see he was getting more comfortable around her and she seemed to be enjoying his company. Lea, Riku, and Wakka sat without blankets next to the fire, and Selphie sat next to them, wrapped up and asleep. Everyone who was awake was still talking, but Sora mostly ignored them. He leaned his head back and watched the stars come out, content to listen to the Kairi's soft, rhythmic breathing. If he closed his eyes and payed close attention, he thought he could even hear her heartbeat. It was soothing.

He must have dozed off, because what seemed like a moment later, Riku was shaking him, telling him to open his eyes. Looking around, he could see the fire had died down to cinders, the magic that sustained it having been cut off. The space around the fire was empty save for himself, Riku, and Kairi.

"Everyone left a bit ago," Riku said quietly, answering the question Sora had been about to ask.

Sora looked down at Kairi who still rested against his shoulder. She was still asleep, her face beautifully relaxed and still.

"Everything's put away," Riku continued in a whisper. "I pulled the boat to shore if you want to carry her there."

Sora nodded and shrugged the blanket off of them.

Riku took the blanket.

Sora turned slowly, sliding one arm under her head and neck to support her. He slid his other arm under her legs and picked her up. He leaned back so her head tilted against the crook of his shoulder and he could shift his other arm under her back to balance her. He knew he'd gotten stronger, but she still seemed surprisingly light in his arms. As he walked to the shore, he felt the warmth of her body pressed against his. It was an almost magical feeling.

He reached the boat and stepped in. Riku had pulled it up so that the prow was out of the surf, and it remained stable while Sora moved slowly to his seat. He sat with Kairi still curled up in his arms. Riku brought the blanket and draped it around them again.

"Thanks," Sora said softly.

Don't mention it," Riku replied with a smile. He hopped back out of the boat and pushed the prow away from shore, hopping back in at the last moment. He climbed past Sora and Kairi to the back of the boat, where he summoned his keyblade. He fired a blizzard spell at the shore, putting out the last embers of their bonfire, then summoned a wind spell to push them out across the water.

As they floated along, Sora looked again at the stars overhead. The last traces of sunlight had long since faded away and the night sky had come alive again with the glow of thousands of stars. Years ago he would have thought of them as just stars, just lights in the sky to look at on a clear night. Now, however, he knew the truth. Each star was a world, a world with thousands of inhabitants that needed saving, a world that needed to be protected. So many nights he'd looked up and seen only the struggle that lay ahead, the monumental task he needed to accomplish, and the price that would need to be paid if he failed. Tonight, though was different. With the woman he loved resting in his arms and his best friend watching his back, Sora looked up into the night and, for what felt like the first time in forever, he felt at peace. For now, the lights in the sky were just lights he could watch in silence, the troubles of the outside world forgotten.

When they docked at the pier, Riku hopped out of the boat and tied it up. Then he helped Sora up with Kairi and they made their way onto town. They dropped Kairi of at her house where her adoptive father, the mayor, took her from Sora's arms with a smile and a nod of thanks.

Sora and Riku went back to the town square where they stopped in front of the fountain that marked the center of town.

"This was fun," Sora said absently, recalling everything they'd done that day.

"It was," Riku agreed.

"We needed this," Sora said, reflecting on how he'd felt looking at the stars in the boat.

"You're right." Riku put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "Thanks for suggesting this, Sora. It was a good idea."

Sora smiled at him, then yawned. "I'll see you in the morning, then?"

Riku crossed his arms and smiled. "I don't think so," He said. "I think I'm gonna skip training tomorrow."

"Why's that?"

"Because," Riku replied smoothly, "I think you and Kairi could use a little alone time." He turned and started walking away, laughing. "Have fun," he said, waving back.

Sora stayed by the fountain, surprised. What Riku had said had thrown him off, but he found he wasn't as nervous as he might have been earlier that day. The idea of spending time alone with Kairi still seemed intimidating, but now there was some excitement mixed in as well.

He smiled and began the short walk home.


	5. Chapter 5

Sora awoke with a panicked jolt. He jumped to his feet, bringing his arm up in a defensive motion. Despite just waking, his senses were on edge. His eyes darted around the room manically, searching for the threat he felt in his bones was there. He could feel the cold sweat covering his body, the tension in his muscles as they twitched, ready for action. He listened intently, trying to discern the faintest threat through the prevailing silence of night. His heart raced with adrenaline, as though he was in the heat of battle. His breathing was labored and ragged. As he stood, poised to strike at anything that came near, he realized his keyblade was in hand. He didn't remember summoning it.

He stood in complete silence, no threat presenting itself. As he stood, his mind pieced together his surroundings. He was in the living room of his house, on the main floor. He'd come directly home from the fountain and found all of the lights off. Not wanting to wake anyone, he'd grabbed a blanket and fallen asleep on the couch. He didn't know what time it was, but he could see the blackness of the sky out the window and knew it was still late.

After what felt like an hour of tense waiting, he dismissed his keyblade and sat back down on the couch, head in his hands. There had been no threat, no heartless. He'd had another nightmare and summoned his keyblade in his sleep. This wasn't the first time it had happened. It wasn't even the worst. It had been happening ever since the Mark of Master Exam, forcing him awake in sheer terror every few nights. He often woke having already summoned his keyblade. One time, he'd even cast a powerful fire spell before he'd fully woken up. Luckily, he'd been alone, so no one had been hurt. He counted it a blessing that he'd slept on the couch tonight. His actions scared him nearly as much as the nightmare's themselves. He hated that he couldn't trust his own body. He dreaded the day when he woke up to find one of his friends hurt or worse because he's lashed out in his sleep. This fear was part of what had kept him away from training with Master Yen Sid and the others. He'd hoped that the dreams would go away over time, but after months of living on his own they only seemed to get worse. Eventually he'd returned, but he hadn't yet asked Yen Sid what to do about it.

He sighed, rubbing his sore eyes, and stood up. He walked to the front door, opened it quietly, and stepped out, closing it behind him. He walked aimlessly, turning down new streets when he felt like it, going straight when he didn't.

The nightmares almost always started the same. He was back on the islands the night they first fell to the darkness. Heartless were swarming him, shadows and neoshadows all writhing as a singular mass, their eyes glowing orange and gold. They clawed at him, raking his flesh and leaving trails of inky black smoke on his skin. He tried to fight them with his keyblade, but found he only had the wooden sword he'd used as a kid. Unable to fight, he ran. He sprinted over the bridge to the small island as he'd done in real life, and there he found Riku. Riku turned and held out his hand, then darkness welled up underneath his feat, threatening to swallow him. Sora reached out for his friend, desperate to save him. He grabbed Riku's hand in his own, but then things changed. Suddenly, Sora was the one being consumed by the darkness, black tendrils snaking over his body, enveloping him. Riku, now free, was holding onto his hand, pulling with all of his might. Sora pulled back, panic taking hold as he tried to free himself. Then the darkness surrounded him, and Riku's hand disappeared. Sora fell. The darkness overtook his senses, taking away sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. All he could feel was a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach as he floated for time immeasurable. The darkness seemed to seep into his skin, clouding his mind and dulling everything other than his panic, rage, and sadness. Then he was standing. The darkness around him pulled back, revealing a vast round stained glass window on which he stood. The window showed his friends. Everyone had a circle with their face in it. Donald and goofy were there, as was the king, but others were there too. Everyone he knew from every world he'd ever visited was there. But the images weren't pleasant. At the edges of the circles, darkness crept in towards the faces. Something else was wrong. He looked at them for a while before he noticed it: there eyes were wrong. All of them had hard golden eyes, and they stared angrily out of the glass at him. In the center of the window he saw Riku, Kairi, Roxas, Namine, and Lea, along with four other faces he didn't know: a tall young woman with blue hair, a tall brawny man with brown hair, a boy who looked like Roxas but wasn't, and a girl with black hair who reminded him of Kairi. They were the only ones whose eyes weren't wrong, but their image was even more horrifying. They were all shown standing together in a single circle. Each of them wielded a keyblade and their faces wore looks of rage and fear. Heartless were attaching them. Formless black masses with golden-orange eyes clawed and swiped at them. From the image Sora could tell that his friends were doomed.

A cold laughter pierced the air around him. He looked and saw a figure there. An old man, hunched and decrepit. Despite his appearance, though, the man radiated power and menace. Sora took a step back, and the man laughed again.

"You really thought you could defeat me, boy?" The man asked. His voice was coarse, like gravel, but he still sounded mocking.

Sora couldn't respond. His fear paralyzed him.

The man smiled a devilish smile and raised his hands. "Foolish child. Stronger than you have tried. All have failed."

Around Sora corridors of darkness opened, and from the stepped dozens of figures in black coats and hoods.

"You will be no different," the man continued, placing his hands behind his back. "You're failure is unavoidable. You will fall before my darkness."

The figures around the window lowered their hoods, and Sora saw them for who they were.

All the enemies he'd defeated stood around him. The organization was there in full force, Xemnas smiling cruelly at their center. Xehanort's heartless was there as well, surrounded by Maleficent and her cronies Sora had defeated on their own worlds. Others were there as well. A boy in a mask stood there, wearing a black and red suit of armor. The young Xehanort from the Realm of Sleep was there too.

The man spoke again. "My plans cannot be stopped. You will fall to darkness, and everything you care about will be lost to you." He raised one grizzled, gloved hand and from it fired a burst of dark magic which crashed into the stained glass floor. From the point of impact, darkness spread outwards, covering all of the faces.

"No!" Sora cried, suddenly finding his voice. He reached deep inside himself and released all of the magical energy he had within. He entered his most powerful drive from and charged the old man, all his fear replaced by rage at what the man had done to his friends. He brought his dual keyblades around in a powerful strike, but the man seemed to phase out of reality, dodging Sora's attack without moving. He brought his hand up fast than Sora could see and clenched it around the young man's throat. The old man smiled and released an immense shockwave of magical energy. The blast stripped away Sora's drive magic, leaving him unarmed and helpless in the man's grasp. His keyblade fell to the floor.

The old man smiled mockingly, then threw Sora back to the middle of the floor. "Admirable," he said through his smirk, "but irrelevant." He looked down at the keyblade at his feet. He kicked it towards Sora. "You're going to need that." He looked at the figures around the platform. "Kill the boy. Let his little game come to an end."

Sora stood, keyblade in hand as the figures surrounding him all charged simultaneously. He looked down at the central pane on which he stood. The darkness had crept all around his friends. Their faces seemed to have changed from shouts of anger and defiance to screams of pain and fear. Tears formed in Sora's eyes as he looked at them.

"I'm sorry," he said, broken.

Then his enemies fell upon him.

That was when he'd woken.

He remembered the dream well enough. It was more or less the same every time. The order of events changed, and faces were swapped around, but it always ended with him consumed by the foes he'd defeated, the old man's laughter ringing in his ears.

Sora found himself on the beach. He sat down in the sand, listening to the waves in the pre-dawn darkness.

He knew who the old man was. From what Yen Sid and the King had said, he could tell it was Master Xehanort. He'd never actually seen him in the realm of sleep, but he knew him nonetheless. Sora had never really felt hate before, but he knew he hated that man. He'd been angry before, sure. Whenever anyone threatened his friends, he got angry. When he'd thought Goofy had died on Hollow Bastion, he'd felt rage and grief. But hate was new. When he thought about Xehanort, he felt nothing else; no pity, no sadness, no hope. All he could feel was anger, pain, fear, and disgust. It scared him. He knew these were dark emotions, but he couldn't find it in himself to feel anything else.

He sighed, resting his elbows on his knees.

Even with all the hate he was feeling, it wasn't the prevailing emotion the dreams caused in him.

He was afraid. All throughout his adventures, he'd never really doubted himself. He might have been lost, or not know what was the best thing to do, but he'd never doubted that he would have the strength necessary to do what needed to be done.

Then he'd failed the Mark of Mastery Exam. More than that, he'd nearly lost his heart to Xehanort. He'd been defeated by the darkness and if not for Riku and Lea he would have become a puppet acting for the forces of darkness. Now he knew he wasn't strong enough. Now he knew there was a limit to what he could do. He'd trusted the connections in his heart, but in the Realm of Sleep those connections had betrayed him, leading him down a path of confusion and despair.

Sora felt his hands shake. He hoped it was due to the chill in the air, but he suspected it was something else entirely.

He'd lost something during that exam. Xehanort might not have taken his body, but he might have crippled him just the same. His sense of assurance was gone. His relentless optimism had disappeared. Now defeat seemed to be a distinct and even likely possibility. He lived everyday knowing that he could fail, and knowing that everything he'd done had only ever been an annoyance to Xehanort and his intricate machinations.

As he sat, Sora saw the distant horizon turn from grey to purple.

"I just don't know if we can do anything." He spoke to himself. It hurt to say the words, but he'd been holding them in, trying to hide them from himself for so long and he couldn't do it anymore. "And me not believing in us is the problem."

He'd stared absently at the horizon for over an hour when he heard footsteps. The purple light in the sky had turned pink and then orange as the sun had come into view. He turned and saw Kairi approaching.

"Hey Kairi," he said with a smile. He still felt some of the despair the dream had brought on, but seeing her lifted his spirits.

She smiled. "Morning." She settled down next to him in the sand, watching the sunrise next to him. "How long have you been here?"

"Not long," Sora lied. He didn't like being dishonest with her, but he didn't know how to talk to her about what was happening with him. She didn't need that stress on top of everything else.

She looked at him suspiciously, but let the matter drop. "No Riku today?"

"No. He said he was gonna skip today."

They were quiet for a while.

"Thanks for bringing me home last night," Kairi said suddenly.

Sora turned to her, but she kept staring out over the water. "Oh. You're welcome."

"My dad said you carried me back after I fell asleep." She smiled, but still didn't face him. "That was sweet."

"Uh… Thanks?" Sora said, unsure of what he was supposed to say.

Kairi giggled and finally turned to him. "I'm the one thanking you, goofball." Sora thought she had a hint of blush in her cheeks, but it might have been a trick of the light.

"Well, you're welcome, then," he replied clumsily.

Silence fell over them again. Sora could knew he should tell her how he felt, knew this was a good time to explain his feelings for her, but he couldn't work up the courage to do it. He was afraid of losing her, afraid of what might happen if she didn't feel the same. He needed her in his life now more than ever, even if it was just as a friend. Without her, Riku was the only one who could make him feel like he was where he belonged.

He didn't say anything, and the moment passed.

Sora stood up and held a hand out to Kairi. "Come on. If Riku finds out we skipped our run we'll never hear the end of it."

She smiled and took his hand.

They ran up and down the beach just as they'd done the day before. When they were tired, they stopped, then summoned their keyblades.

"Alright," Sora said determinedly, "time to show me how you pulled off that ice move yesterday.

As it turned out, Kairi was a phenomenal teacher. She understood the subtleties of magic as though she'd been studying it for years, and she knew how to communicate what she needed him to do. Sora had never really had any formal training, but under Kairi's tutelage he felt comfortable. She explained the basic principles behind what she wanted him to do, then demonstrated each step individually. Any time Sora had a question, she explained the answer patiently but promptly. Her teaching method made Sora feel bad for how poor an instructor he was to her, but she never once mentioned it.

Before long, Sora had learned to create the ice rails and was getting the hang of surfing along them. He still wasn't nearly as proficient as Kairi, who could travel faster and much farther, but he was coming along by the time the stopped their lessons.

"Thanks, Kairi," Sora said with a smile as they walked back towards the pier. "Sorry it took the whole morning." He smiled sheepishly and tucked his hands behind his head.

"That's okay," she replied easily. "Honestly I'm impressed. You're really catching on fast."

"You're just a good teacher," he said.

She smiled. "Well, tomorrow is your turn again. I still need to figure out a new technique to show off for Master Yen Sid."

"Alright," Sora said with a smile. Any worry he'd been feeling from his nightmare had disappeared thanks to Kairi. He knew it would come back when he tried to sleep again, but for now he decided to simply enjoy his time with her.


	6. Chapter 6

The second day on the play island started much the same as the first. Everyone met on the beach, then decided what games to play. Hayner suggested a doubles sand volleyball tournament and everyone else agreed. The young man smiled, pairing himself off with Olette and suggesting Tidus and Yuna form a team, along with Wakka and Selphie. He claimed to be setting the teams to divide up the best pairs and make things even, but Sora saw what was going on behind the scenes. Tidus and Yuna had been growing closer since they'd met yesterday, so them pairing up would seem natural. Without Tidus, Wakka had lost his obvious partner and would be more open to working with someone else. And once Wakka was paired up, that left Rikku with one close friend to act as a potential partner: Pence. The two of them paired up as predicted and Riku paired up with Lea, smiling at Sora.

Kairi moved over next to Sora. "I guess that leaves us," she said brightly.

He nodded with a smile. "Sounds good to me."

Six teams made for an odd tournament bracket, but everyone agreed to make a two branch bracket with two preliminary matches, two semi-final matches, and a championship. Sora and Kairi would play Tidus and Yuna in the first match, and the Winner of that match would play Riku and Lea. The winner of that match would move on to the finals. Likewise, Hayner and Olette would play Pence and Rikku, and the winner would play Wakka and Selphie to determine the other finalists.

Once the net was set up in the sand Sora and Kairi took up their positions across from Tidus and Yuna. They'd flipped a coin to determine the serve and Tidus had won.

Tidus tossed the ball up and jumped, hitting it with his outstretched hand in a mighty serve. Sora saw the ball leave his hand, blinked, then saw it hit the sand between him and Kairi. He looked at Kairi with apprehension. This was going to be a challenge.

Tidus aced two more serves before Sora was able to dive and return one. He bumped it to Kairi who set it high, giving Sora time to jump back to his feet and spike it over the net. Tidus received it, bumping it to Yuna who set it back to him. Tidus jumped for a spike, but Sora blocked it, forcing the ball back to Tidus's side where it fell to the ground.

As the match continued, it became apparent that Yuna and Tidus were the better players individually, but they were unaccustomed to working together. Kairi and Sora were in better shape, though not by much, and had a few weeks of experience working off of each other, which helped make up for their lack of individual talent. Tidus and Yuna led for most of the match, but their lead decreased steadily over time until Sora and Kairi tied them at twenty. It was Kairi's turn to serve, and she fired the ball over to Yuna, who bumped it to Tidus. Tidus, in turn, set it over the net. Sora intercepted the ball, bumping it to Kairi who set it back to him. He jumped for the spike and hit the ball down in front of Yuna. She dove, but couldn't save the ball and it landed in the sand giving Kairi and Sora the lead for the first time. Sora turned to Kairi and smiled, but she was already concentrating on the next serve. Sora turned back as Tidus tossed the ball over to Kairi.

The pressure now on for the game point, Kairi took a few steps back and then sprinted forward. She threw the ball high, then leaped after it, bringing her arm around in a powerful swing. Her hand hit the ball sending flying over the net directly at Tidus's feet. He dove, bumping it to Yuna who set it back. Tidus jumped and spiked the ball, but Sora was ready for him. Sora bumped the spike to Kairi. She set it back to him and he spiked it to the back of Tidus and Yuna's side. Yuna dove backward and overhanded the ball to Tidus who set the ball over the net to buy time for Yuna to get up.

"Kairi!" Sora shouted as he intercepted the ball and set it to her near the net. She ran and jumped, raising her arm. Sora watched as she brought her arm around, hitting the ball. It sailed down towards the sand in front of Yuna. She tried to catch it, but hadn't yet regained her balance. Tidus made a desperate dive, but he was too far away. The ball hit the sand, and the eight onlookers exploded in cheers.

Sora ran to Kairi and picked her up in his arms, spinning her around. They both laughed as their friends crowded around them, congratulating them. Sora put Kairi down after a moment, realizing he was holding her in a way that might seem suggestive. She didn't seem to notice or mind, but his face turned red anyway. He walked to the other side of the net where Tidus and Yuna lay in the sand staring up at the sky.

"Good game," Sora said, extending a hand down to Tidus.

Tidus smiled and took the hand, pulling himself up. "Man, I can't believe you beat us. We had you the whole game."

Sora smiled. "Yeah, well, maybe we were just playing you." He made what he hoped was a sneaky grin.

Yuna laughed as Tidus helped her up. "I don't think you could do that," she said with a smile.

Tidus smiled, putting an arm around her waist. "Yeah, you're not clever enough for that."

Yuna elbowed him in the gut. "That's not how I meant it," she said in mock irritation.

Sora laughed as Tidus hunched over, holding his stomach.

Yuna laughed with him, then bowed her head slightly. "Thank you for the match. I'm excited to play you again sometime."

Everyone returned to the sidelines as Hayner and Olette squared off against Pence and Rikku. This match was less impressive than the first, but no less competitive. Hayner and Pence were athletic enough to handle themselves, but neither of them was an experienced volleyball player. On the other side, Rikku was experienced and athletic. She was a good partner as well, making sure to play to Pence's strengths as a setter and not holding his shortcomings against him. Pence had issues diving and spiking, but he proved a fairly capable server and setter after a few rounds. The two of them developed a sort of team work that allowed them to take the lead and eventually win the game. Hayner was a bit upset that he lost, but seeing Rikku hug Pence in celebration cheered him up.

As Hayner walked back to the sidelines and passed Sora he smiled and gestured to Pence and Rikku. "See, my plan is working."

Sora watched as Rikku let go of Pence and the young man tried to hide the redness in his face. "I hope it works out in the end," he said with a smile.

Sora and Kairi lined took position with Riku and Lea across the net.

Riku smiled at Sora confidently. "Don't think this is going to be as easy as yesterday's race," he said tauntingly. "I'm not letting you beat me twice in one trip."

Sora was about to respond when a siren cut him off.

The sound came from the main island.

Riku cursed and ran to the bonfire, cutting off the magic fueling it and dowsing it with a blizzard spell.

A sudden crack of thunder caused everyone to look up. Dark clouds were rolling in over the back of the island. They'd been hidden by the trees and the steep slope of the play island's hills, but now they had drawn dangerously near. Everyone had been so intent on the tournament that no one had noticed the incoming storm. The six islanders began to scramble around, cleaning things up at a rapid pace.

"What's going on?" Hayner demanded. "What's the big deal? It's just a storm, right?"

"It's not like the storm's you're used to," Kairi replied hastily as she packed the food they'd hoped to eat for lunch. "The alarms mean it's a bad one."

"H- How bad?" Rikku asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"Really bad," Wakka answered as he and Tidus hauled the net into the shack. "Like we-need-to-get-to-the-mainland bad."

Rikku crouched and hugged her knees, groaning. "No, no, no…" she shook her head. "I hate storms." The color had drained from her face and the cheerful upbeat Rikku that everyone knew was gone.

Pence put an arm around her comfortingly.

"It'll be fine," Riku said as he began hauling a cooler to the boats. "We might get caught in the rain, but we should make it back before the worst of the storm hits.

The rest of the boys joined Riku in loading up the boats while the girls packed away the rest of the games in the shack. Once the first boat was packed, Tidus, Yuna, Hayner and Olette all boarded and set out for the main island.

Just then, the rain began.

Rikku moaned again, afraid and upset.

Thunder continued to roar in the sky as the remaining friends packed the last two boats. Riku hopped into the second boat with Lea, Wakka, and Selphie. Sora and Kairi joined Pence and Rikku in the final boat, and the pair of small vessels shoved off from the dock.

The winds had risen by then and the gentle waves of the ocean had turned into large rollers that set the boats bobbing up and down wildly. Riku and Sora propelled the boats forward, trying to keep the nose pointed perpendicularly to the waves.

Suddenly, a powerful gust came out of the sky, hitting the little boats broadside. Riku managed to correct for the wind, but Sora was not so lucky. His boat spun ninety degrees, slipping into a trough, then climbing to the crest of the next wave sideways. The maneuver threw everyone about violently and as the boat tipped over the crest of the wave, Rikku's already tenuous grip on the edge of the boat gave out. She flew over the side and disappeared under the surface.

"Rikku!" The boat's remaining occupants screamed in unison. Kairi and Pence searched the water around them desperately while Sora tried to correct the boat's course.

Rikku's head broke the surface several feet from the boat and she let out a choked off scream.

Pence, before Sora or Kairi could stop him, dove into the water, life preserver ring in hand. Sora immediately brought the boat around, aiming it towards Rikku's struggling form. Kairi guided him and helped him steady the boat with spells of her own.

Pence surfaced near Rikku and held the life ring out to her. She grabbed on immediately and pulled herself to it, wrapping it in her arms. Pence did the same, then turned and waved to Kairi in the front of the boat. Kairi signaled Sora to move closer, then reached a hand out as the boat approached the two castaways.

Kairi pulled Rikku in first, then the two of them pulled in Pence who still held the ring in his hand.

The winds had picked up even more fiercely now and the rain pelted at the boat's occupants, making seeing things difficult. Lightning cracked immediately overhead now with thunder less than a second behind. Sora looked around for Riku's boat, but it was nowhere to be seen.

Rikku huddled in the hull of the boat, squishing herself between the benches and covering her head. Pence sat next to her, covering her with a protective arm. Kairi huddled in the prow, looking at Sora fearfully. Sora raised his head and looked towards the main island. He could see an ill-defined dark blob, but nothing else. Trying to reach the mainland would be difficult, almost impossible, without losing another passenger or even tipping the boat entirely. Looking back to the play island, he made his decision. He turned the boat around and summoned up more magic, shooting the boat forward with as much speed as he dared. The little craft nearly flew over the waves, feeling as though it was jumping from crest to crest and almost skipping over the troughs entirely. As they approached the beach, Sora threw caution aside and sped up even more knowing they were approaching relative safety. The boat rocketed through the shallows and up onto the sand, jostling everyone inside, but stopping safely two meters from the waterline.

Sora jumped out and Kairi followed a moment after. Pence followed their lead and coaxed Rikku out after him. The four friends hauled the boat farther up the beach until it rested against the rock wall that separated the beach from the rest of the island.

Kairi ran around the boat, grabbing Rikku's hand. Rikku grabbed hold of Pence, who grabbed hold of Sora and the four of them, led by Kairi, walked towards the great tree at the center of the island. Kairi walked around towards the back of the tree, then disappeared from view. Rikku followed her ducking into the hidden cave that marked the entrance to the secret place. Pence went after her, but Sora let go and stayed back. He walked back around to the front of the tree and stared out across the water. The main island was almost invisible through the rain, but he thought he could see a small glowing light where the dock should be. He summoned his keyblade and held it aloft, firing a bright magical energy ball into the sky to try and signal anyone who might have been looking for them from the docks on the mainland. He turned to walk back inside, but a cracking sound overhead cause him to turn. A branch fell down from one of the trees on the hill above. He ducked out of the way easily, then bent and picked it up. It was the branch of a paupu tree, and two of the paupu fruit had stuck to it. He considered leaving it, but then brought it inside with him.

Ducking into the cave, Sora felt like he'd entered a different world. The roaring of the storm seemed distant and muffled, while the creaking of the tree in the wind seemed amplified. What little light made it through the clouds was blocked by the roof of the cave, but Kairi had cast a light spell which gave the whole space an unnatural but warm glow. Kairi sat against the old wooden door at the back of the cave, her light orb hanging above her and towards the center of the room. Rikku huddled off to one side, curled up and leaning against Pence who was putting on a brave face and trying not to shiver. Everyone was soaked, and the lack of sunlight left a chill in the air. Sora held out his keyblade and summoned a small fire near the center of the room. He copied the spell Riku had used with the bonfires on the beach and the flame kept itself going despite a lack of fuel.

Sora sat down near the fire, setting down the branch of the paupu tree and peeling off his wet shirt. He laid his shirt out on a nearby rock and held his arms out to the fire, warming himself.

"Is everybody alright?" he asked, looking about the room.

Kairi nodded, wringing the water out of her hair, then scooting closer to him and the fire.

"Yeah," Pence said with a weak smile. He stayed where he was, not wanting to force Rikku to move.

Sora looked at Riku and Kairi followed his gaze.

"What about you, Rikku?" Kairi asked softly.

Rikku still huddled against Pence's chest, shivering. "I'll be okay," she said weakly. A crack of thunder outside caused her to cringe. "I just really don't like storms." Her teeth chattered as she spoke.

Pence squeezed her in one arm. "How about we move closer to the fire and warm up," he prodded gently.

Rikku nodded and the two of them moved closer.

Huddled around the fire, they all sat in near silence, save for Rikku's occasional squeals of terror as thunder rumbled outside.

"So," Pence said, looking around at the cave walls, "what is this place anyway?"

Sora looked at Kairi.

"We found it when we were kids," she answered with a smile. "We used to hide out in here when we were little. It's not much, but when all you have is this little island, any new discovery is exciting."

Pence turned and inspected the walls of the cave, examining the drawings. "Did you guys do all of these?"

"No," Kairi answered. "Most of them were here when we found the place. Someone must have been here a long time ago, before we were allowed out on the island.

Sora remembered the day they had discovered the cave. He and Riku had dragged Kairi along on an expedition to discover something new about the island. They'd done things like that all the time, but hadn't ever found anything. Oddly enough, it was Kairi who'd found the place. He and Riku had been searching behind the nearby waterfall and she had wandered off. When they'd looked for her, she'd called oud from the cave and they'd followed her voice until they found the entrance. They'd revisited the cave for weeks after that, looking at the carvings, and trying unsuccessfully to open the mysterious door at the back. Eventually, they'd shared the secret of the entrance with Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie, but he would always remember it as his place with Riku and Kairi.

They sat in silence again until Kairi started to shiver despite the heat of the fire. Irritated, the scooted closer and closer to the fire, then gave up and peeled her wet tank top off and hung it next to Sora's shirt, leaving her on only her shorts and swim top. She sighed as the warmth of the fire soaked into her bare skin, then moved over next to Sora, leaning against him. "You're warm," she said contentedly as she pressed her back against his side.

Sora felt his face turn red and hoped the dim light would hide it.

"Does that help," Rikku asked between shivers, referring to Kairi's tank.

Kairi nodded.

Rikku sat up and peeled off her own tank, tossing it on a rock behind her. She let out a prolonged sigh as the warmth of the fire soaked into her skin, then turned to Pence. "Come on, Pencie," she said, a small glimmer of her old playfulness returning to her voice. "I know you're cold too."

Pence shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine."

"Oh, come on," Rikku prompted. "I can feel you shaking." She reached down and tugged at the back of his shirt, pulling it over his head.

"Wha- Hey!" Pence protested, but eventually Rikku pulled his shirt off, then threw it over next to hers.

"There," she said smugly, leaning back against his shoulder again. "That's better, isn't it."

Sora almost laughed at Pence. He'd frozen up when Riku had pressed her skin against his, and his face had brightened to a shade of red sora didn't think possible.

"Yeah," Pence replied nervously after a moment, "That's better."

They all sat quietly again, watching the fire and listening to the thunder and rain. Rikku was still tense, but she seemed to be relaxing slowly as she warmed up. She eventually started to breath more slowly, and Sora realized she had fallen asleep. Pence leaned back slowly until he laid back on the sand, Rikku still asleep on his chest, and closed his eyes. Before long, he too had dozed off.

Kairi looked at them and smiled. "I supposed something good came out of this," she said.

Sora nodded with a smile. "Yeah."

Kairi sat up, then moved over so she was leaning against the cave wall again. "I think I might take a nap too." She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

"Okay," Sora replied. He watched her for a while until her breathing slowed, telling him she'd fallen asleep.

He thought about checking outside again, but the rhythmic creaking of the tree trunk overhead and the day's excitement seemed to wear him down and before long he felt himself drifting off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Sora's eyes shot open and he tried to sit up, but something pressed him back. His heart raced, and he could feel a cold sweat coating his skin. He could feel the familiar tension in his muscles and the boost of adrenaline pumping through his body. He looked around, recognizing his surroundings, and groaned. He'd had another nightmare.

It was at that point her realized there was a weight on his chest. Kairi lay over him, pressing her body against his and wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. Her head was next to his and he could hear her whispering into his ear.

"Please," she whispered gently, "it's okay. I've got you."

Sora slowly raised a hand and ran it softly along her back. "Kairi, I'm okay now."

She sat up in his lap and Sora could see tears in her eyes. "Sora?"

He smiled sheepishly and sat up so they were face to face. "Yeah, I'm back."

She smiled and threw her arms around him, nearly pushing him back to the ground. He could feel her tears running down her cheeks and onto his shoulder. "I was worried. You started talking in your sleep about the darkness, then you started screaming and summoned your keyblade. I didn't know what to do, so I just-" she choked on a sob and didn't finish her sentence.

Sora wrapped his hands around her, holding her tight. Her sobs wracked his body, each one more painful to him than any wound he'd ever received. He cursed himself for having put her through this. "It's okay, Kairi. You did good. There was nothing else you could do."

She held him for a while longer, then pulled away and moved so she was sitting next to him.

Sora put one arm around her. He still felt the same jitters he always felt after one of his episodes, but her presence seemed to help.

"Has this happened before," Kairi asked, concern and suspicion in her voice.

Sora sighed resignedly. "Yeah, it's happened before."

Kairi nodded. "How much?"

"Every few nights since the Mark of Mastery Exam."

Kairi turned and fixed him with a stern stare. "Every few nights?"

"Yeah," Sora hung his head. He could tell Kairi was angry. He felt it in the way she sat against him. He was sure she would reprimand him.

She reached up and ran a hand across his face, brushing a stray hair from his eye. "So, what is it?"

Sora looked down at her, surprised. "What's what?"

"What's happening to you, of course. What happens every few nights?"

Sora sighed. He considered not telling her, but she'd just press him or go tell the King and Yen Sid. "It's not a big deal," he said, trying to convince himself as much as her. "It's just a nightmare."

"A nightmare?"

Sora nodded, the familiar details coming back. "It's almost the same every time. Little things change, but it always ends the same."

Kairi pulled herself more tightly against him. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Sora's immediate reaction was to shake his head. "No."

She turned her head to look at him. "Why not?"

Sora looked away. "I don't like reliving it," he said evasively. As he looked around the room, he saw Rikku and Pence still asleep across from the fire. "Why didn't I wake them up?"

"You did," Kairi answered, "but I cast a sleep spell on them before they knew what was happening. I thought you might want to keep this between us." She reached up and pulled his face so he was looking at her again. "Now stop changing the subject. If you don't talk with me about this, I can't help you."

"I can take care of it myself, Kairi, I don't need any help." He turned his head away from her again. He could feel her tense up, hurt and angry at what he'd said, but she let it go.

"Sora, I'm your friend. I want to help you. You can trust me."

When he didn't respond, she sighed and summoned her keyblade. She summoned another small orb of light and sent it over towards the far wall of the cavern near the old wooden door. It drew close to the wall until it illuminated the drawings, then stopped. The drawing of them sharing the paupu fruit was right in from tog the orb, lit up and plain to see. "I remember the day we drew this," she said fondly. "I remember carving each other's faces into the rock. You were embarrassed because you though your carving wasn't as good as mine."

Sora smiled. "I remember."

Kairi reached up and squeezed the hand he had over her shoulder. "That was a fun day." At her direction, the ball of light lowered until the arms holding the paupu fruit were lit brightly. "This part was new, though."

Sora felt his cheeks turn red.

Kairi continued. "When I returned from Hollow Bastion, I came here and saw the drawing had changed." She looked back at him. "You changed it."

It wasn't a question or an accusation. She'd merely said it, convinced it was the truth. Sora felt himself blush, but he met her eyes anyway. He nodded, feeling his heart pounding.

She smiled slightly, then turned back to the drawing. "I knew it was you when I saw it. I can't explain how, I just…" she trailed off. "When I saw it, I knew what I wanted to do." She looked at him again, staring directly into his eyes. "I carved the rest of it."

Sora's heart raced. He'd always hoped she'd been the one to finish the carving, but hearing her tell him in person was more incredible than he'd imagined.

Kairi reached up and took his free hand in hers. "Sora, I know you want me to be a part of your life forever. I want that too. I don't know if that means we'll always be friends or if it might become something else, but I know I want to have you in my life forever." She wiped a tear from her eyes with her free hand. "So please, let me help you. I can't just sit by and watch you go through this. Please."

Sora stared into her eyes and saw the earnestness, the pain, the desperation. He saw all of those things and more, and he knew he couldn't keep this from her. "Alright," he said after a moment.

Kairi nodded and leaned against him, closing her eyes. "Whenever you're ready. Take your time."

Sora took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts, then began.

He told her everything. He explained how he tried to fight the heartless, but couldn't without the keyblade. He told her about how Riku was nearly swallowed by darkness, but when he tried to rescue him, he was consumed instead. He described falling through the darkness without any sense of what was going on, his mind enveloped and strangles by the blackness that surrounded him. Then he told her about the stained glass platform and being overwhelmed by Master Xehanort and his servants. Recounting the tale sent shivers down his spine, and even though he knew he was safe, fear crept back into his mind.

Kairi listened to all of it with rapt attention, never asking questions, but absorbing everything he said. When he finished, she spoke up. "That sounds terrifying."

Sora nodded, running a free hand through his hair.

"You said this started after the Mark of Mastery?"

He nodded again. "Yeah."

She looked at him until he met her gaze. "What happened in that exam, Sora? Riku and the others won't tell me, but I need to know. What happened to you in there?"

Sora hesitated. Yen Sid and the King had probably kept her in the dark to protect her, but now it felt foolish to do so. She was a part of the war now, and she deserved to know. On top of that, sharing all of this with someone felt good, and he wasn't sure he could stop now until she knew the full truth.

"In the exam, we found Master Xehanort."

Kairi nodded.

"He laid a trap for us in the realm of sleep. He used the connections in my heart to distract me, to keep me confused. He wore me down with visions and fights until I was vulnerable, then he struck." He paused, remembering the confusion and fear he'd felt as he wandered aimlessly in the World that Never Was. "I lost there, Kairi. The darkness took me."

She stared up at him, surprised and afraid. "You lost?"

He nodded, ashamed. "The darkness nearly took my heart. Then Xehanort tried to take over my body."

"He can do that?" she asked, her voice wavering in fear.

Sora nodded. "He would have done it to me, but Riku, Lea, and the King stepped in." He hung his head.

Kairi wrapped her arms around his chest.

"That's what started the nightmares," Sora continued. "That was the first time the darkness had ever taken me." He paused for a moment and took a deep breath, fighting back the fear he felt clouding his thoughts. "And now Master Yen Sid says everything we've done was all part of Xehanort's plan. He made his heartless and nobody knowing they might be defeated, and now he's back and stronger than ever." He balled his hand into a fist. "It just makes me so angry. Everything we did doesn't matter. We went through all of that, and all we did was bring him back." He rested his head in one hand, feeling disheartened. "All this time, all these years of fighting, I always had my conviction. I knew I would make myself win, not matter what, because everyone I fought could be defeated. I knew didn't always know my enemy, but I knew I was stronger than them if I stood by my friends. That helped me beat Ansem, it helped me beat Xemnas, I'm sure it helped me in Castle Oblivion." He sighed. "Now, though, I don't know."

Kairi stared up at him, surprised at what he was saying.

"That's what keeps the nightmare's going." Sora said, defeated. "When I lost to Xehanort, he took something away from me. He stole my spirit, my confidence, my drive. It's all gone. The things that made me me." He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, but he didn't fight them. "He took away my assurance and replaced it with doubt and fear. He used my connections to my friends to control me. My friends were always my power, and he took them and turned them against me." He was crying openly now, all the pain and stress of the past months had built up within him until he needed to let some of it out. He looked at Kairi through his tears. "I don't know if we can beat someone like that. I know I can't. I'm afraid of what will happen to everyone when we fail. When I fail."

The last semblance of control he had broke and he began to weep. Sobs wracked his body as he cried. He pulled his knees close with one hand and held his head in the other, letting the tears flow.

Kairi wrapped her arms around him as he wept, trying to comfort him. She held him tight, trying to let her presence calm his despair.

They sat like that for what felt like hours, Sora crying and Kairi holding him.

Eventually Sora's tears slowed and subsided. He still felt like crying, but found he couldn't anymore.

Kairi held him still, and he found her touch very soothing. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her, returning her embrace. He felt safe there, in her arms, like he'd found shelter from the storm inside himself.

Kairi reached one hand up and brushed the tears from his face. "Sora, you're amazing."

He looked at her. "What?"

She met his gaze and held it. "You're an amazing person. You've been living with this doubt for months and your biggest fear is what will happen to everyone else if you fail."

Sora nodded, sad. "Everyone is depending on us, on me, to win. If we can't, they'll all fall to darkness."

Kairi hugged him tighter. "Don't you see it? That's why we'll win."

Sora raised one eyebrow, confused.

She smiled hopefully. "You're so concerned about everyone else. All you fight for is to protect your friends. That's all any of us fight for. You, me, Riku, the King, even Lea, we all fight to protect the people we love. Xehanort and his darkness might be strong, but they don't have that."

Sora sighed. "Don't you get it, Kairi? We've had that all along, and look where it got us. I was almost lost forever, because he played with the connections in my heart."

"Almost. You were almost lost. Riku and the others saved you."

"That's not the point, Kairi," Sora exclaimed, frustrated.

"No, that is the point," Kairi replied firmly. She broke their embrace and took Sora's hands in hers. "We look out for each other, all of us. We always have. When Riku almost fell to the darkness, you stopped him. You helped him fight. Now he can face the darkness alone, but he doesn't. He stays with us so we can all work together. That's what makes us special." She placed a hand gently on his face. "That's what makes you special. You think your confidence made you who you are? You think you're just your drive or your unbroken spirit? No. You're so much more than that. Sora, you're an amazing person. You're kind, and strong, and silly, and passionate. You're hardworking when you want to be, and lazy when you can be. I've never met anyone who makes me laugh the way you do, but at the same time you can be so serious. And even when you think you're broken, you never fail to put your friends first. That's what makes you who you are. Xehanort may have taken your confidence, but he didn't take away you. He could never do that. Your heart is too big."

Sora felt tears in his eyes again. Her words made him feel like he hadn't felt in months. "Kairi-"

"You're the best person I've ever met, and not matter what happens, that will never change. The darkness might try to stop us. It might hurt us, might try to swallow us up, but not matter what it does, it can't change the way we feel about our friends. It can't change the way I feel about you." She hugged him again. "That's why we'll win: because the darkness can never overcome how much we love our friends. How much I…" she stopped, catching herself.

Sora looked at her, but she turned away, her cheeks red.

He reached out and put a hand on her cheek gently. "Kairi?"

She resisted at first, but eventually turned to face him.

One look told Sora everything he needed to know. Saw in her eyes the same longing and affection he held for her reflected back at him.

"Kairi," he started again, "I want to tell you something."

She nodded, nervous and hopeful.

He took a deep breath, then began to speak. "Ever since you came here, I've always like you. When we started hanging out as kids, I knew I'd made a best friend for the rest of my life. Riku and I used to compete for your attention. I couldn't understand why I hated losing to him so much, but now I think I understand. When I lost you and the islands, I didn't know what to do. When I found you again and you brought me back from being a heartless, I think I started to realize what my heart already knew." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Leaving you to find Riku was the hardest thing I've ever done, and wanting to get back to you is what kept me going. When you're letter found Riku and me in the Realm of Darkness, I was happy. Even if it hadn't led me home, I would have been happy. It was a little piece of you I could keep." He smiled. "I still read it every few days."

She smiled and let out a small giggle.

"When I failed the exam, I went out on my own, thinking I could handle things on my own. I was wrong. I came back because I need my friends in my life. I need you in my life, Kairi. I don't feel at home around here anymore, but when I'm with you I feel like I'm where I belong. Last night when I was carrying you home, everything fell away. I looked up at the sky and realized I was at peace. I was comfortable. With you in my arms, the darkness disappeared, the fear was gone. I don't even think I understood it then, but now I think I do. What you said about me, about us standing together, it drove away everything else. The fear, the anger, the doubt, all of it was gone. When I realized that, it all came together."

He stopped and stared into her eyes. She knew what he was going to say, and he knew she would say the same. He smiled. "I love you, Kairi."

She smiled back at him and tears welled up in her eyes. "I love you too," she replied. She threw her arms around him.

Sora matched her embrace, holding her tightly against his chest.

They stayed in their embrace for a few moments, then Sora's stomach rumbled hungrily.

Kairi started to giggle at the sound, then Sora joined in. Soon both of them were laughing in each other's arms, tears springing to their eyes yet again.

"Sorry about that," Sora said when he could speak again.

"It's okay," Kairi replied, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "I'm hungry too."

Sora leaned over and grabbed the paupu branch he'd brought in from the outside. "I might have just the thing." He pulled one of the large fruits off, then tossed the branch so it landed next to Pence and Rikku for when they woke up. He handed the fruit to Kairi.

She took it and brushed the sand off. She looked at him with a smile then took a bite. As she chewed, she handed it back to him.

Sora hesitated for a moment. He'd waited for so long to share this with her, it seemed strange for it to be happening so nonchalantly. Dismissing the thought from his head, he took a bite. The paupu was something between a peach and a mango, sweet with a hint of sour. He passed it back to Kairi and she took another bite. They ate in silence, passing the fruit back and forth, content to share in each other's company.

They finished the fruit before long, and Sora began to feel drowsy again. He yawned and stretched his arms.

"You should rest," Kairi said, leaning into the crook of his shoulder. "You look tired."

Sora shook his head. "I don't want to ruin this with another nightmare."

Kairi looked up until she met his eyes. "You won't ruin it," she said. "You could never ruin this."

Sora didn't say anything, but he still refused to close his eyes.

Kairi sat up and moved so she sat against the wooden door. She patted her lap. "Come here."

"What are you doing?" Sora asked, curious.

She laughed and patted her lap again. "Just come here."

Sora moved over next to her.

"Lay down," she said, gesturing to the space beside her. "Put your head in my lap."

Sora did as he was told, laying down and placing his head so that he looked up at her.

"Now close your eyes and listen," she said. "Don't be afraid to fall asleep."

"But Kairi-"

"Shh…" she interrupted gently, placing a finger over his mouth. "Just close your eyes and listen. Trust me."

Sora paused, then closed his eyes. He felt nervous, but trusted that Kairi knew what she was doing.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," she said reassuringly, running a hand through his hair. Then she started to hum.

It wasn't a song he knew, but the melody was soothing. It was gentle and simple. She continued to stroke his hair gently with one hand as she hummed, and these actions in tandem took Sora's mind off of everything else. Before long, he felt himself drifting off again, but rather than fighting it he allowed sleep to take him.

This dream was different. There was no island, no Riku to save, no heartless. He started by falling through darkness. As usual, it seemed impossibly oppressive, but he felt different this time. As the shadows crept into his mind, he felt a familiar warmth nearby. A light cut through the blackness, and he could hear Kairi's beautiful song in his ears. The light approached him, and as he caught it in his hands, it materialized into Kairi. The humming stopped as she spoke to him. "See?" She asked, tilting her head playfully. "You were never alone. I won't let anything bad happen."

Sora couldn't decide if he was seeing a vision of Kairi, or if she'd somehow entered into his dreams as Riku had done. He decided it didn't matter.

They fell together for a while before the darkness dissipated, revealing the stained glass floor with Master Xehanort standing on the other side. The old man smiled viciously at Sora as he always did. Sora nearly took a step back, but Kairi grabbed his hand. He looked at her and she nodded back, a determined smile on her lips. Sora nodded back, then took a step towards his adversary.

Master Xehanort's smile broadened. "You seem to have grown a little more courage boy. Though, I'm afraid it won't save you." He held out his hand and fired a ball of dark energy into the floor. The shadows began to spread.

"You're right," Sora said, overcoming the fear that was rising in his gut. "My courage won't save me, but I don't have to rely on just me anymore." He held his and Kairi's hands aloft. "I'm not alone, and I know that the two of us together have nothing to fear from you."

Xehanort began to laugh cruelly. "You think your friendship will save you? I've crushed stronger friendships than yours, boy. And in case you forgot, I'm not alone either." He held his arms out beckoningly, and his dozens of servants emerged from dark corridors, surrounding Sora and Kairi.

"You're wrong," Sora said, conviction returning to his voice. "You are alone. Your servants might be strong, but all of you stand alone. Your hearts are filled with selfishness and cruelty. You don't have anyone you care about, or anyone who cares about you."

The old man smirked, then signaled to his warriors. They charged. Sora and Kairi stood still in the center of the platform, waiting. Just when the first dark figure reached them, Sora squeezed Kairi's hand and released a huge surge of energy. A field of energy sprung up around the two of them. It pushed back their attackers, driving them back into the portals through which they'd come. The energy his Xehanort, but the old man resisted. He fought back with his own magic, trying to overpower Sora and Kairi. He fought them to a stalemate, maintaining his footing and refusing to give an inch.

He struggled against them, then started to laugh. "I'm impressed, children, but you'll need to do better than that. You will fail and my darkness will spread over the worlds."

Sora looked at Kairi. She smiled at him, and he returned the grin. They summoned their keyblades, energy still pouring out of their hearts, then held the swords out, pointing them at Xehanort. Sora reached for more energy and found that he felt some both inside of himself and inside of Kairi. He couldn't explain why he could sense it, but here energy was there, waiting for him. He took some of hers, and felt her taking some of his in return. Oddly enough, he didn't feel like he was running out any faster. It's the connection we share, he realized. It makes us stronger than either of us could be on our own. He gathered the energy he'd drawn from Kairi into his keyblade and she did the same with his energy in her own. Hands still intertwined, they fired all of the energy at Xehanort. The old man shot them a look of rage and surprise, before disappearing in a flash of light. The light engulfed the whole platform, and when it faded, Sora and Kairi stood alone.

Kairi turned to him with a smile. "I knew you could do it," she said, squeezing his hand.

He squeezed her hand back. "We did it, not just me."

She smiled, then looked down. Sora followed her gaze. The darkness had faded from the stained glass and the images had changed. All the faces of his friends were smiling, their eyes back to normal. In the center the nine figures, some he knew and some he didn't, were standing together smiling. An image of Sora stood with them, smiling out at the real Sora and Kairi.


	8. Chapter 8

Sora woke slowly. He opened his eyes and saw Kairi staring down at him with a smile.

"Hi," she said, grinning.

He returned the smile. "Hey."

"So, how'd you sleep?" she asked.

Sora thought for a moment, remembering as much of the dream as he could. "I slept well," he said, remembering holding her hand in his dream, remembering the warmth that he'd felt in the darkness when he'd been with her. "Better than I've slept in a long time."

Kairi smiled again. "Good."

Sora sat up and stretched, yawning again. He looked around and noticed Pence and Rikku were gone. "How long was I out?"

"Maybe an hour or two. The storm is gone. Pence and Rikku went outside to stretch their legs." She stood, then offered her hand to Sora.

Sora took her hand and pulled himself to his feet. They left the cave, grabbing their dry shirts and extinguishing the light orbs and fire behind them. Sora cringed as he entered the bright sunlight beyond the cave. The storm had indeed receded. The sky was clear except for a few residual clouds out over the horizon. The beach was a little messy, with branches from the island trees scattered about, but wasn't as bad as he'd expected. They walked down onto the sane, reveling in the warmth of the sunlight. Their boat remained where they left it, though it needed to be emptied of almost ten centimeters of standing water.

Kairi tugged on his hand and pointed with her free hand to the small island across the bridge. "There they are."

Sora followed her gaze and saw Pence and Rikku sitting on the edge of the island, dangling their feet down near the water. They looked like they were talking.

Sora and Kairi made their way across the bridge, but Kairi stopped before Pence or Rikku noticed them. She waited, listening, hoping not to interrupt.

"-was still pretty brave," Rikku said to Pence. She sat next to him, one arm around his shoulders.

"You would've done the same for me," Pence said dismissively, clearly struggling to decide between shyness and pride.

Rikku shook her head. "Nu-uh," she said playfully. "With all that thunder, I would've stayed in the boat." She started to laugh, and Pence joined in.

Rikku leaned her head on his shoulder, letting her arm drop from around him. "Really, though, thanks. I don't know what I would have done without you. You really impressed me." She kissed him on the cheek. "You're a good guy, Pencie."

Kairi almost squealed watching them together, and Sora smiled. Kairi almost walked towards them, but Sora stopped her, seeing that Pence had more to say.

Pence rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish and even a little ashamed. "I don't know about that," he told Rikku.

"What do you mean?" Rikku asked, confused.

"Remember the paupu," Pence asked timidly.

"It was delicious," Rikku said with a big grin, patting her stomach.

"Well, there's something I didn't tell you about it. Kairi told me a story yesterday about it. If two people share it, the story goes that their destinies become tied together." He smiled at her, guilty. "I know it's silly, but I should have told you before we ate it. I was afraid if you wouldn't want to eat it if you knew."

Rikku looked at him quizzically. "But, why'd you want to eat it with me in the first place?"

Pence hung his head. "Because, well… Because I really like you and I thought maybe if we shared a paupu fruit I might have some kind of chance with you."

Rikku sat up, apparently thinking things over, then turned back to Pence with a smile. "Okay," she said brightly.

Pence turned to her, confusion written on his face. "Okay?"

"Okay." Rikku nodded, looking back out at the ocean with a mischievous smirk.

"Okay what?" Pence asked worriedly.

Rikku turned back to him. "Okay, let's give it a chance." Then she leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. She turned back towards the ocean, apparently content to let the subject drop.

Pence sat frozen in shock for a few moments. "Wait," he stuttered when he regained control of his faculties. "Wait, you want to give us a try?"

Rikku looked at him, enjoying his puzzlement. "Yep." She leaned in and kissed him again, then sat back. "Besides, I kind of already knew about the paupu fruit."

Pence turned to her, surprised. "Who told you?"

"No one," Rikku answered easily. "I heard a story a long time ago about a world with star-shaped fruit that had special powers. If two people shared the fruit, they would never be apart. I didn't really believe it, even when I saw the paupu tree yesterday, but now that I've spent all this time with you and after what you did out in the boat, I hope it's true." She leaned over so she was looking directly into Pence's eyes. "I really like you, Pence."

Pence's face was bright red, and Sora thought he might turn away, but he didn't. Instead, he placed his hand over Rikku's on the sand. "Rikku, may I kiss you?"

Rikku giggled at his formality, but nodded and closed her eyes.

Pence leaned in slowly and pressed his lips against hers.

It was a quick kiss, but Sora could see that Pence's heart was in it.

Pence pulled away, his blush still high in his cheeks, but a smile on his face. Rikku smiled back, then pounced on him, wrapping her arms around him and mashing her mouth against his in a passionate kiss that put his to shame.

Unable to contain her excitement any longer, Kairi let out a cry of joy, clapping her hands. Sora joined in celebration, applauding his friends and their happiness with each other.

Pence and tried to look up at the same time, bumped heads, then lost their balance and fell over the side of the islands small cliff.

Sora and Kairi ran to the edge of the island and stared down at Rikku and Pence who laughed as they got up, their clothes soaked.

Not long after that, the four friends went back to the boat and dragged it back into the water after dumping the rainwater out. The basket's they'd brought were ruined, but everyone was just glad no one had been hurt. They piled into the boat, and Sora pushed them off. The set a brisk pace over the now calm water, but before they made it halfway, Kairi signaled to Sora to slow down. As he did so, he saw two boats approaching from the main island.

As they drew closer, the other boats slowed, revealing their occupants. Riku piloted one boat with Tidus, Yuna, and Selphie as passengers. In the other boat, Wakka piloted with Lea, Hayner, and Olette sitting towards the front. The occupants of the two new boats all waved excitedly and called out as they approached.

Everyone was excited to be reunited, but none more so than Yuna, who nearly jumped out of her boat in her attempt to reach Rikku and apologize for leaving her in the storm. Hayner and Olette were nearly as excited to see Pence, and their smiles only grew when they saw Pence and Rikku holding hands. Riku apologized to Sora and Kairi, explaining that he hadn't noticed their boat had fallen behind until he approached the dock on the main island. He'd signaled to them and wanted to go out after them, but then he saw the signal that Sora had sent up on the beach and realized they must have been okay.

With everyone together again, the three boats set out together at a more relaxed pace for the main island. Once the boats were docked and tied up, Sora, Pence, Kairi, and Rikku went back to where they were staying to freshen up and change clothes.

When Sora walked into his house, he found himself nearly attacked by his mother as she hugged him and planted kisses on his forehead. "I'm so glad you're okay," she said, squeezing him tight. "I knew you'd be fine, but still." She let him go, then reached up and flicked his head. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Hey!" Sora pulled away from her, avoiding being flicked again. "It wasn't my fault. Rikku's the one who fell out of the boat."

Mei's eyes went wide. "Rikku fell out of the boat?! What happened? Is she okay?"

Sora took his mother's hands in his own, trying to calm her. "Mom, she's fine. Pence rescued her." He gestured behind him to Pence, who'd returned to the house with him.

Mei looked at Pence, then smiled, her fears abated. "Oh, well that was very brave of you Pence."

He smiled, embarrassed at the attention. "Thanks."

After a little more assurance from Sora that everything was okay, Mei let them go. The pair returned to Sora's room and each of them showered and changed into a fresh set of clothes. Before long they left the house and returned to the beach with their friends.

Rikku had built another huge bonfire in the sand, and everyone sat around it. Sora hadn't realized how much of the day had passed while he and the others were stuck on the island. The sun was beginning to set already and the sky was a beautiful shade of orange. Wakka had brought a grill and was making hamburgers. While they sat, Rikku told the story of how Pence had saved her from the ocean. Everyone was impressed and congratulated Pence, but the young man only seemed embarrassed. He and Rikku sat together, her head on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around one of his. Yuna sat on a log next to them with Tidus on the sand in front of her, her hands occasionally playing with his hair. Hayner and Olette sat on a blanket together in the sand, their fingers intertwined. Selphie, Riku, and Lea sat on a log of their own. Sora and Kairi sat next to each other, but they didn't show any sign of being a couple. Sora considered reaching out for her hand, but she seemed happy the way things were, and he didn't want to make things weird between them.

Eventually, Wakka served dinner.

"It's too bad about the storm," Hayner said between mouthfuls. "We lost a whole afternoon. Now all we've got is tomorrow."

Everyone was quiet at that. They'd all known the trip wouldn't last, but it seemed to be moving too fast.

"Well," Sora said with a grin, "I think tomorrow we'll be able to make up for lost time."

"Why's that?" Olette asked.

Sora and the rest of the islanders exchanged knowing smiles. "Because of the festival," Sora said excitedly.

"Festival?" the non-islanders said together.

"The end of summer festival," Kairi answered with a smile. "Here on the main island, we have a carnival celebrating the end of the season. There's games, food, dancing, fireworks, it's a big deal."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rikku asked, more excited than annoyed.

"Sora asked us not to say anything," Wakka answered. "He wanted it to be a surprise."

Everyone looked at Sora and he smiled. "Surprise!"

For the rest of the night, the friends all sat and talked about the festival and what they wanted to do. As they talked the sun fell lower and lower in the sky, and the air grew colder. The group dissipated slowly. Wakka left first, with Tidus following soon after. Yuna and Rikku left together, Rikku kissing Pence before she left. Selphie and Olette departed next, and Hayner and Pence followed suit before long. Only Riku, Sora, Kairi, and Lea remained. They sat in comfortable silence, some watching the fire, and others watching the stars.

Lea spoke before long. "I want to thank you guys for bringing me along," he said, his eyes never leaving the flames.

"Of course, Lea," Sora said with a smile. "You're our friend too."

Lea smiled. "Yeah, but I've never been all that nice to you guys." He leaned back and looked up at the stars. "I gotta admit, when you first asked me to go with you, I didn't really want to. I figured it would turn into one of your dumb friendship things or something."

Kairi smiled mockingly. "And? It wasn't so bad was it?"

Lea fixed her with a mischievous smile. "Oh, it was totally a dumb friendship thing," he tucked his hand behind his head, "but it was pretty fun all the same."

Everyone laughed.

"When I came back, I never thought I'd wind up working with you guys," Lea continued. "I figured I'd go out on my own, maybe find Isa, and maybe head home. After Roxas left the Organization, I never thought I'd have friends again." He looked around at the three of them. "Sora, Riku, Kairi, thanks for sticking with me. I know I can be a jerk." He looked at Kairi specifically. "I know I've hurt you guys in the past." He looked back at the fire. "I just want to say thanks for giving me a chance. I almost forgot what it was like to hang out with friends."

Everyone was quiet for a while, no one willing to break the silence after what Lea had said.

Eventually, Lea himself stood up and stretched. "Well, enough of that emotional stuff, I'm going to bed." He walked off without another word.

Sora, Riku and Kairi watched him go.

"That was… unexpected," Sora said after Lea was out of earshot.

Kairi nodded. "It was sweet, though." She smiled. "I guess even Lea can warm up eventually."

Riku nodded, then yawned. He stretched his arms. "I think I'm about done for the night," he said, standing. "You guys are on your own for training tomorrow. I'm sleeping in. Remember to dowse the fire." He walked away. Before he was out of the fire's glow, he stopped and turned back. "I put up a hammock in the trees just up the beach, by the way." He pointed towards the palm trees a dozen meters from the shoreline. "There's some blankets and pillows there, if you want to sleep out under the stars."

Sora and Kairi both turned to look at him, surprise and embarrassment written on their faces.

Sora tried to form a question. "What… How…"

"Call it a hunch," Riku said with a knowing grin. He turned and walked away, hands in his pockets.

Sora turned back to Kairi, and saw the same blush on her face that he had on his.

They turned back to the fire without a word, to nervous and embarrassed to say anything.

"My parents are probably asleep already," Kairi said, breaking the silence, "and I leave for training before they get up." Nervousness played at her voice. She turned to Sora. "We could stay out, if you want."

Sora couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew his mom was asleep already and wouldn't wake up until after he'd left to train with Kairi on a normal morning. He turned to her and nodded nervously. "Okay."

She nodded and stood, taking his hand and pulling him up with her. They extinguished the fire then walked towards the palm trees together, hand in hand, until they found the hammock

Riku hand hung it between two tall trees in the crook between a pair of sand dunes. It was a sheltered spot, protected from most of the wind, but still afforded a great view of the beach. There were several thick blankets there, and two pillows. Sora took two of the blankets and gave them to Kairi, spreading a third out over the hammock for them to lay on. They placed the pillows up where their head would lay, then Sora kicked off his shoes and climbed in. It was a big hammock, with plenty of room for two occupants, and it was fairly new and didn't sag under his weight. He situated himself in the center and Kairi tossed him the blankets. He spread them out, one over the other, then folded them back to make room for her. Kairi kicked off her shoes and began to climb in after him. It was almost a romantic moment, until the hammock started to tip. Kairi tried to catch it and keep it still, but it swung away from her. Sora started to laugh, watching her struggle, until she tried again and nearly dislodged him. She started to laugh next and tried for a third time to climb in. This time, Sora adjusted his position to account for her added weight and she was able to haul herself into the hammock and settle in next to him.

"Well," she said, her grin apparent in her voice, "that was interesting."

The two of them laughed.

Sora threw an arm around Kairi under the blankets and pulled her close. "Are you okay?" he asked, hoping she was comfortable.

She pressed her back more tightly against him. "Better than okay."

Sora smiled. He was laying in his side and she laid in front of him facing the same direction. He could feel her heart beating just as he was sure she could feel his. He thought the air would be cold out near the beach, but sitting so close to her, all he felt was the warmth they shared.

"I love you, Kairi," he said.

He could tell she smiled, even in the dark.

"I love you too, Sora."


	9. Chapter 9

Sora woke to one of the most amazing sunrises he'd ever seen. Out across the water, the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. The sky was still black over the main island, but the light of dawn turned it gradually from dark to purple to pink by the time the sky touched the water. A few residual clouds still hung in the sky from the day before, and they stood out as patches of darker purple and red against the sky. There was a slight breeze, and the familiar salty smell of the sea filled the air. The sound of gulls and other local birds mingled with the rhythmic crashing of waves and the rustling of palm fronds in the wind. He could feel the hammock swaying gently back and forth. The motion was relaxing.

He looked down at Kairi. She still slept in front of him, her back pressed against his chest, his arm draped over her protectively. Looking at her, he couldn't help but smile. She breathed softly as she slept, her chest rising and falling slightly. Sora lowered his head and moved closer to her. He was comfortable, he realized. Not just in this moment, but in his heart. Laying here next to Kairi in the early morning light, he felt like he was finally home. He'd told her yesterday that she made him feel like he belonged, and waking up with her at his side, he realized that she gave him a home. No matter where he was, if he woke up next to her, he knew he would feel at home.

He laid next to her for a while, until she started to stir and opened her eyes. She turned her head, looking around.

"Good morning," Sora said with a bright smile.

Kairi returned his smile through half-lidded eyes. She yawned, stretching her arms out from under the covers. "Good morning," she answered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She snuggled up against Sora again. "How did you sleep?"

"Good," Sora answered. "No nightmares."

Kairi smiled. "Good."

They laid there together, watching the sun come up.

"It's beautiful," Kairi said.

"Yeah," Sora agreed, his gaze drifting from the ever brightening horizon to Kairi herself.

He could have stayed there all day, but Kairi eventually sat up, stretching her arms over her head. The hammock swung with her movement.

She swung her feet over the side and stood up, almost tipping the hammock in the process. She stretched her arms, then turned back to Sora. "Come on," She prompted, "we still have training to do."

Sora groaned halfheartedly, covering his eyes with one arm and pulling the blankets back up.

"Come on, sleepyhead," Kairi said, reaching down and pushing on the hammock, causing it to swing violently. "You promised we'd figure out a technique I could show off to Yen Sid, remember?"

Sora groaned playfully, then sat up, an eager smile on his face. "Alright." He got up, stretched then headed out for the shoreline, Kairi in tow.

They ran again, but Sora called their run short in the interest of getting more training time in. They summoned their keyblades, then picked up where they'd left off two days prior. Kairi properly performed the spinning jump maneuver she'd learned before, then they decided to move on to developing a new technique for her.

"You've got the basics down," Sora said, pleased. "Now we've just got to figure out how you want to use them."

Kairi nodded, anxious to begin.

"I guess we'll start with the obvious," Sora decided. "What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to have a dueling move for a small number of enemies, or a crowd control move for lots of opponents?"

Kairi thought for a moment. "Crowd control," she said with a nod. "I want to improve my swordsmanship more before I focus on dueling."

Sora nodded. "Okay, so now we can look at the spells you know and see what you might want to use."

"I know all the basics: fire, thunder, blizzard, gravity, aero, cure, stop, sleep, poison, and magnet." She paused, thinking. "Merlin's also teaching me a few others, but I haven't really mastered them yet."

Sora nodded as she spoke, reviewing the list as she spoke. "Okay, now of those spells, which ones can be used to control affect big groups?"

Kairi ran through the list. "Well, thunder, obviously. Blizzard can be effective, but usually only in one direction. Gravity, stop, sleep, poison, and magnet can be effective on groups too."

"So now," Sora said once she'd finished, "you want to think about the spells and way their strengths and weaknesses, then you try to figure out how you can use the extra mobility you get from charging magic into your body to make the spells stronger and overcome their limitations."

Kairi nodded, closing her eyes. "Well, blizzard has the obvious drawback of needing a cluster of enemies in a single area."

Sora nodded. "So, what can you do to get enemies in a certain area?"

"Magnet," Kairi answered automatically. "That's what it's meant to do." She thought for a moment. "Magnet attracts enemies directly towards me, but if I was moving fast enough through a group, they'd all wind up behind me."

"Then…"

"Then I could turn around and fire a blizzard spell, and I'd hit them all!" Kairi opened her eyes with a smile. "What do you think?"

Sora smiled and shrugged. "I think it's a good idea, but we won't know unless we try it out."

Kairi nodded excitedly, then lined up a few meters away, facing down the beach.

Sora watched as she took a deep breath, then crouched. He could see the energy building in her legs and keyblade. She leaped forward, releasing some of the energy in her body, throwing herself forward and driving her into a spin. As she spun through the air, he saw her release another spell from within her body. The magic attracted sand and stones to her. Still spinning, she released the magic in her blade. The tip of the weapon cut through the air, slicing and freezing everything her magnet spell had drawn towards her. She came out of the spinning charge and turned, pointing her keyblade at the debris behind her. Rather than firing, though, she dropped her arm to her side.

"I released the blizzard spell to early," she said, frustrated.

"Are you kidding?!" Sora exclaimed. "That was amazing! I thought you were doing that on purpose!"

Kairi looked at him, confused.

Sora smiled, gesturing to the trail of debris she'd left behind, all of it still frozen in place. "Look at that! It's all stuck there. You have all the time you need to hit it now."

Kairi looked at the trail, putting together what he was saying, then smiled. "So now I can just fire another powerful spell at them!"

Sora nodded, a big proud grin on his face.

Kairi lined up again, building up the magic inside her. She repeated the maneuver, faster this time, and finished by firing a massive burst of icicle spikes back along the path she'd made, shattering the ice crystals she'd left behind and destroying whatever had been frozen inside of them.

She smiled as she straightened up after the attack and looked at Sora. He smiled back.

"I knew you could do it," he said, his voice full of pride.

She practiced the move a few more times. On her last attempt, she charged a full ten meters before firing her blizzard spell back.

Sora was about to congratulate her when he heard a slow clapping from behind him.

"Not bad, Kairi. Not bad at all." Lea approached them from the pier.

Kairi bowed playfully, laughing.

"I'm impressed," Lea continued. "According to Riku, you only figured out the basics a few days ago. Now look at you: figuring out moves that even a master would be proud of."

Sora wasn't sure if Lea was being earnest or mocking. He tended to have that effect.

"Of course," Lea continued, "That move wouldn't work against a single opponent."

Kairi frowned. "Why not?"

Lea smiled, knowing he'd baited her. "It leaves you exposed near the end. When you come out of your charge, there's a split second before you turn around to cast your ice spell when you're unguarded."

Kairi was about to protest, but he held up a hand.

"It's not your fault," Lea continued. "Every move has a weakness. I'm just trying to help you out."

Kairi narrowed her eyes. "Fine then. If it's got a weakness, why don't you show me?"

Lea smiled, and Sora knew this was what he'd been after since he arrived. "Kairi, are you asking for a fight?"

She raised her keyblade and began gathering energy in her body.

Lea's smile broadened. "Alright then." He summoned his keyblade and waited.

Kairi leapt at him suddenly. She released all of her stored energy, charging faster than she'd moved all morning. She began her spin, flying towards Lea. Lea allowed the pull of the magnet spell to draw him in, then gathered magic into his body and released it, wreathing himself in flame. Kairi flew by him, her keyblade swinging towards him, bringing with it a freezing air that threatened to paralyze him where he stood. Lea allowed her to pass, blocking the worst of her strike, but otherwise ignoring her. As Kairi came out of her charge, she began to turn, but in a split second a fireball crashed into her back, sending her sprawling.

Lea walked over to her, crouching down. "See? I told you." He offered her a hand. "Having a good attack is only important if you know when to use it. Got it memorized? That move will be great against the heartless, but if your enemy is smart enough to use fire to avoid being frozen, they'll have an opportunity to strike." He smiled down at her.

Kairi took his hand after processing what he said.

Lea helped her up. "Like I said, I really am impressed. That move is really cool, I just don't want you to get yourself into trouble with it."

Kairi smiled. "Thanks, Lea."

"No problem," he replied, turning to walk back to the pier. "You guys should probably wrap up soon," he shouted back. "The festival's going to start soon, and you might want to change out of yesterday's clothes so your parents don't get suspicious."

Sora and Kairi both blushed as Lea continued to walk away laughing.

Kairi turned to Sora. "We should probably get back."

Sora nodded. "How do you think he knew?"

Kairi shrugged. "It's Lea. I'm kind of learning not to question him."

Sora watched Lea leave the beach and walk towards town. He was glad they weren't enemies anymore.

Sora and Kairi returned to their homes. Sora found his mom already gone to the festival and Hayner and Pence were up eating breakfast, waiting for him. He showered and changed, then grabbed a slice of toast and joined them near the front door. The trio set out for the far side of the island where the festival was being held. They took a roundabout path, stopping to meet their friends at the fountain in the center of town.

Nearly everyone was already there when they arrived. Only Wakka showed up after them, and he wasn't alone. Behind him followed a young woman with long black hair, purple lipstick, thick black eyeliner, and wearing a black sundress and leggings.

"Is that Wakka's girlfriend?" Pence asked.

The islanders all nodded.

"She's…" Pence searched for the right words, "not what I expected."

Wakka and the young woman arrived, the former with a big smile and the latter with what Sora and the other islanders knew was her customary disinterested scowl.

"What's up guys?" Wakka asked, gesturing to his companion. "This is Lulu, my girlfriend."

Everyone greeted her. Introductions were made, with Yuna even giving a respectful bow. Lulu was respectful but quiet and generally didn't seem like she wanted to be there.

With everyone assembled, the group set out for the fair.

As they drew nearer, the sounds of the various attractions grew louder.

As they turned a corner around a grove of trees, the festival became visible. It was situated in a large park which ran down to a long flat beach. Trees and tents provided shade from the sun and long open thoroughfares ran between lines upon lines of attractions. The smell of fried food and sweets permeated the air. Even with the relatively small population of the islands, the attractions varied widely from one to the next. Food vendors sold all manner of delicious treats and drinks. Game stalls of all types offered prizes for any number of games, from ring toss to strength tests. There were even a few rides, though most of them were for children. The whole sight was a vast spectacle of color and revelry, and none of the friends could imagine a better way to spend their day.

Sora sat with Kairi in the shade of one of the trees surrounding the festival grounds, their hands intertwined. The sun was just beginning to set, and a slight chill was falling over the fair. They'd spent a fair amount of the day together, and now the both of them were worn out. Sora could feel his stomach settling. He'd eaten too much junk food, but it was well worth it. He could still see his friends passing by as they wandered up and down the rows of stalls. Hayner had won a prize for Olette, a large stuffed paupu pillow, and he carried it for her under one arm. Pence and Rikku strolled by, arm in arm, munching on every type of fair food they could find. Tidus and Yuna were riding the Ferris wheel. Wakka and Lulu sat under a nearby tree, Lulu in Wakka's lap, somehow seeming to enjoy herself. Selphie had grabbed Lea and dragged him to the karaoke contest. He'd protested, but had gone along anyway, not wanting to upset her.

"This was fun," Kairi said as they watched the crowds.

Sora nodded in agreement.

"Not just today," she continued. "This whole trip was fun. We'll need to do this again when everything is over."

Sora smiled. "I like that idea," he said. Oddly enough, he didn't doubt that they might actually make that happen.

Riku approached them, calling out. "Hey, don't tell me you two are dozing off already." He approached and held a hand out to them. "Come on, we've got to get to our seats for the fireworks."

"But the fireworks aren't for another hour," Sora protested, unwilling to leave his comfortable spot under the tree.

"Just come on," Riku said, grabbing Sora's arm and pulling him to his feet.

Sora helped Kairi up, then the two of them began following Riku. It soon became apparent they weren't heading towards the normal firework seating.

"Riku, where are we going? The fireworks are shown near the beach."

Riku smiled. "Don't worry about it. I know what I'm doing."

He led them through town and to the beach where they stored their boats. The walked out on the pier, then Riku had them get into a boat. There were blankets, pillows, a few drinks, and even some food stowed in the boat, waiting for them.

"I thought we deserved the best seats in the house, since we might not be home again for a while." He untied the boat and cast off.

Kairi smiled, wrapping one of the blankets around herself. "Thanks, Riku. This is really sweet."

Riku steered the boat out onto the water, bringing it around the island in a wide arc.

"I don't know what happened between you two during the storm yesterday," Riku said as they sailed, "but I'm glad. I know it can be hard to feel like you're facing the darkness alone, so I'm happy you have each other to lean on."

Sora and Kairi looked at each other and smiled.

"Anyway," Riku continued with a smirk, "it's about time. Seriously, I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to happen. I had a bet running with Lea."

"You had a bet?" Kairi asked, surprised, but amused.

"Don't worry," Riku assured her. "I won."

They all laughed.

"Really, though, I am happy for you," Riku said.

"Thanks," Sora said, meaning it.

Kairi took Riku's free hand in hers. "You know, it's not like we're just going to leave you out on your own," she said. "You're still our friend. We'll always be there for you when you need us."

"That's right," Sora said, putting his hand over theirs. "Just because Kairi and I are together doesn't change anything. It's always been the three of us, and that's the way it's going to stay."

Riku smiled, then started to laugh. "Man, I forgot how much of a dork you sound like sometimes."

Sora almost retorted, but stopped when Kairi started to laugh as well.

The arrived out in front of the fireworks beach before long, and Sora had to admit, Riku had made a good choice in seating. The beach was full of people, but out on the water they were alone. The world around them was silent, except for the occasional splashing of waves against the side of the boat. Riku threw an anchor over the side, then had his friends stand up. He reached down and removed the wooden benches, stacking them at the back.

"I didn't know they did that," Kairi said.

Riku smiled. "I had Wakka and Tidus fix them up before we got here." He spread two of the blankets out in the hull of the boat to act as padding, then laid down, placing a pillow under his head. Sora laid down on the other side of the boat and Kairi followed suit, laying between them. She spread her blanket over the three of them to ward off the cold.

They might have looked silly, laying three wide in a small boat, sharing a blanket, but Sora didn't mind. He sat with his two best friends under a ceiling of stars, listening to the waves and the wind without a care in the world.

The fireworks started. Each one lit up the sky in brilliant rainbow hues, and the accompanying boom made everything else seem far away.

"This is how it should be," Sora said decidedly, watching the display.

"Agreed," Kairi replied, a grin on her face, her hand in Sora's.

"This was how it always should have been," Riku said, his hands tucked behind his head.

Sora turned to him. "And it'll be this way again." He smiled, his old determination back. "We'll make it that way, together."

Kairi smiled back at him and squeezed his hand. "It's a promise," she said, turning to face Riku. "We'll get back here one day, when all of this is over. Nothing can get in our way as long as we're together."

Riku smiled, moving past his momentary bitterness. "You're right. The three of us? We can handle anything the darkness throws at us.

They laid in silence until the end of the show, then they laid there for a while longer, wishing it hadn't come to an end. Eventually, Riku sat up, and moved to the back of the boat. He pulled in the anchor, then set out, turning the boat around and heading back the way they'd come. Sora and Kairi stayed laying down, content to watch the stars pass by overhead.

When the boat bumped against a dock sometime later, Riku hopped out and tied it up.

Sora sat up and stretched, tired. He looked around, confused at his surroundings. They were on the play island, and other boats had docked around them.

Kairi sat up, just as confused.

"Surprise!" Riku said with a smile from the dock. He gestured to the beach where all their friends were gathered around a fire. "I checked with your parents and everyone can stay out here tonight.

Sora and Kairi smiled and climbed out of the boat, Kairi giving Riku a hug of appreciation.

The trio made their way to shore where they were greeted by their friends. Everyone had rolled out sleeping bags near the fire, and were sitting together roasting marshmallows. Pence and Rikku were listening to Hayner tell how he'd won the prize at the festival for Olette. Yuna and Tidus sat with Wakka and Lulu, the three islanders listening as Yuna told them about the goings on in Radiant Garden. Olette, still sitting next to Hayner, was listening to Selphie brag about how she and Lea had won the Karaoke contest with an upbeat pop duet. Lea sat next to her, trying not to look embarrassed and failing miserably.

The three newcomers joined their friends and found their sleeping bags. Sora's and Kairi's had been placed side-by-side, and Olette said she'd had to stop Hayner from zipping them together.

The two of them were embarrassed, but Hayner just laughed.

Oh, come on," he said, trying to defend himself from Olette's scolding. "It's not like they'd do anything anyway. They haven't even kissed yet."

Sora nodded. "Okay." He leaned back, thinking over what she'd said. "Well, I think I feel the same as you do. About where we are, I mean."

Kairi tilted her head. "And the physical stuff?"

Sora shrugged. "I guess I just haven't been thinking about it. I get what you mean about what we have feeling like enough. I'm happy with you. Today, last night, yesterday in the cave, I feel better than I've ever felt in my life. I know we'll eventually have more, but I can wait for that until the time is right. I want to share everything with you, and I know the physical stuff will come eventually, so for now I can wait."

Kairi listened to everything he said. "Okay," she said slowly, "and what about when we start to get physical?" She sounded nervous.

Sora was glad for the darkness of night since it covered his blush. "We- Well," he stammered, trying to figure out what to say. "I mean, when we get there, I'm sure we'll be alright. We'll take our time."

Kairi nodded. "And, when do you think we'll be ready?"

Sora could feel the anxious sweat on his palms. He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I figured it would just feel right." He paused. "Now that I think about it, I guess I don't really know what 'right' will feel like." He laughed nervously.

Kairi gave a nervous chuckle with him. "Yeah, I mean, if we're really happy together, how are we supposed to know when the right time is?"

Sora thought he heard a hopefulness in her voice, hidden within the nervousness and doubt. He felt his heart beat faster as an idea formed in his head. "Kairi," he asked, "do you want me to kiss you?"

Kairi froze, and for a moment Sora thought he'd made a mistake. Then she tilted her head in her innocent way and smiled a half smile. "Yes?" She said. It sounded more like another question than an answer. "I mean, no. I mean, I don't know." She shook her head and brushed a stray hair out of her eyes.

Sora could see she was nervous, but her struggle to find an answer mad him smile.

"Don't look at me like that," Kairi said, smacking him lightly on the arm and smiling. "It's not an easy question. There's a lot to think about." She leaned her head back and looked up at the stars again. "Think about it: we're not just us anymore. We've got responsibilities to the worlds now. Yen Sid and the King might not think it's appropriate."

Sora understood where she was coming from. He had some of the same worries, now that he thought about the idea of them being together. There was so much ahead of them, and they had so many responsibilities. It didn't seem right to focus on something so… frivolous.

Each of them was so deep in thought, they didn't hear a third person approaching from the bridge.

"You two need stop worrying so much about other people," the stranger said.

Kairi and Sora turned to see Lulu, of all people, walking towards them.

"Hey Lulu," they said together, getting over the surprise of seeing her. Sora quietly shifted a few inches away from Kairi.

Lulu walked over and stood in front of them on the sand. "You two are thinking about this too much," she said tersely.

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked.

Lulu crossed her arms and fixed him with an irritated stare. "I'm talking about you two spending too much time talking and thinking about what your next step should be. I heard what you were saying. You're treating this relationship like it's a problem you need to solve, but it's not."

Kairi put her hands on her hips, indignant. "Well, what do you suggest we do then?"

Lulu turned her withering stare to Kairi, causing the younger girl to wilt slightly. "You need to stop worrying what other people are going to think," she said, her gaze softening. "If you two really love each other, you need to trust each other enough to do what feels right and know that it's going to work out."

Sora couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was Lulu, bone-chilling, soul-crushing, scarier-than-a-heartless Lulu, giving him advice on love.

"Is that how you and Wakka make it work?" Kairi asked.

Lulu nodded. "Wakka and I had a hard time when we started seeing each other. We were very different people, and we still are, and that made things hard. We spent a lot of time worrying about what other people thought about us being together. It almost put an end to our relationship."

"So what did you do?" Sora asked.

"We stopped worrying," Lulu answered determinedly. "We decided to stop caring about what other people thought and do what we thought was right for us." She looked back and forth between Sora and Kairi. "That's what you need to do. Stop thinking about what your friends and teachers will think. You need to talk about what the two of you want to do, then do it." She turned away and began walking back across the bridge. "Remember," she said as she left, "love isn't easy, it's difficult. You need to work at it. No need to make it any harder on yourselves." Then she was out of sight, swallowed up by the night on her way back to the fire.

Sora turned to Kairi. "That was unexpected."

She nodded, as surprised as he was. "Yeah."

They were quiet for a moment.

Sora scooted aback so he was close to her, their hands touching. "So, what do you think?"

Kairi smiled nervously. "I think…" she paused, "maybe she's right."

Sora nodded, eager nervousness creeping into his voice. "Me too."

Kairi tilted her head to one side and smiled shyly. "So…" she prompted, leaning closer to him.

Sora swallowed, trying to calm the butterflies in his stomach. "So…" He took a deep breath and leaned in to their faces were less than an inch apart. He could feel the heat from her skin radiating out to his own. Her smile disappeared and she closed her eyes, waiting.

Sora clenched his hands, fighting down the last surge of nerves, then pressed his lips against hers and closed his eyes.

It was a strange feeling. Not unpleasant by any means, but strange and unfamiliar. Her lips were soft and warm. He could feel her blush where their skin touched, and knew she felt the same from him. At first, he seemed to be kissing her without any response, but after the initial shock she seemed to regain her senses and started returning the kiss. As they locked lips, Sora lost all sense of his surroundings. Everything seemed to fall away. It was like being swallowed by the darkness in his dreams, and yet it was entirely different. His senses weren't being taken from him so much as he was giving them up to focus only on Kairi. The nothingness that surrounded him was not one of darkness, but one of warmth and light. It was a welcome feeling. It was all of the peace and joy he felt when he was with her, but the intensity had spiked to new heights. While her presence sometimes seemed intoxicating, now it felt all consuming in the best way.

Eventually, they broke apart. They stared at each other for a few quiet moments, each of them trying to breathe steadily.

Sora spoke first. "How was that?"

"It was… good," Kairi answered. She thought carefully about her words. "It was really good." She looked into his eyes, nervous. "What about you?"

"It was good," he said, unsure of how to describe it. "It was… better than good." He smiled and put his hands behind his head.

Kairi smiled and leaned back, looking at the stars.

"Are we good?" Sora asked after a while.

"Yeah," Kairi answered, still smiling. "We're good."

They sat for a while longer on the paupu tree, then Kairi jumped off, landing on the sand below.

"Come on," she said. "We should get back. It's getting late, and we've got a big day tomorrow."

Sora hopped down and joined her, then the two of them walked over the bridge together, hand in hand.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day, Sora sat on his bed in his room, packing his things. Despite sleeping out on the beach, he felt well rested. He and Kairi had returned to the group as people were beginning to turn in. Hayner had apologized for his comments earlier, and they had forgiven him. The two of them fell asleep as the fire died, still holding hands.

The group had woken to watch the sun rise over the ocean, then they'd headed back to the main island to pack up for the trip ahead.

The morning was still early, but Sora, Hayner, and Pence were all nearly packed and ready to go.

"This was fun," Hayner said as he stuffed the last of his dirty shirts into his duffel.

"Agreed," Pence said with a nod. His clothes were all folded and fit nicely into his bag. "Thanks, Sora. This was really cool."

"It was," Sora said with a pleased smile.

Hayner groaned. "I can't believe it's over already. Now we have to go back."

"At least you've got all summer," Sora said with a grim smile. "I've got to get back to work."

"Yeah," Hayner said with a sigh, "but Olette's gonna make me start on the summer homework right away." He hung his head. The seasons in the Twilight Town were offset from those in the Destiny Islands, so while the islanders' summer was coming to an end, that of the town citizens was just beginning.

Sora found himself laughing at his friend's plight.

"You'd better go shopping with her once or twice," Hayner said, looking at Pence desperately. "Maybe then I can get at least a day or two off."

Pence shuffled nervously. "Actually, I won't be able to do that," he said, looking down.

"What?" Hayner demanded. "Why not? Come on, man, you gotta help me out."

Pence scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I've been talking to Rikku and I decided I want to spend some time in Radiant Garden."

"What?!" Sora and Hayner exclaimed in unison.

"I thought about it, and I want to stay there for the summer. I know it sounds crazy, but Rikku says I can join up with the Restoration Committee. She said there's a computer system there that needs work."

Sora remembered Cid and Leon struggling with the town's computer and Tron trying to teach them how to use it properly. Someone who knew what he was doing with computers would certainly be welcome.

"But, Pence…" Hayner said, still shocked at what he was hearing. "That's awesome!" He smiled wide and threw a fist in the air. "Good for you, man!"

Pence smiled at Hayner's reaction, then turned to Sora. "Riku said it wouldn't be a problem if you dropped me off with Rikku and Yuna. I hope you guys don't mind."

"Are you kidding?" Sora asked, a smile spreading across his face. "I think it's great."

After they'd finished packing, the friends went downstairs. They'd eaten a quick breakfast made by Mei when they'd gotten back that morning, so now they were ready to go.

Mei met them at the door, a basket in her hands. "I packed some snacks for the trip. I know how hungry men your age can get."

"Thanks!" Hayner said excitedly, grabbing the basket and giving her a warm hug. "And thanks for letting us stay here. We had a great time."

Mei returned the hug with a smile. "You're welcome." She let him go, then hugged Pence. "And feel free to stop and stay any time. It was nice to have boys in the house again."

Pence thanked her, then he and Hayner stepped outside.

Mei and Sora stared at each other for a moment, neither really knowing what to say. Sora swallowed. This was always the hardest part of coming home.

"Mom," he began, "I know it's hard to do this every time I come home."

She nodded, tears forming in her eyes.

"I just want to say, thank you. I know you don't want me to leave, but you always let me go. I appreciate it."

Mei smiled, and the first tears fell from her eyes. "Oh, Sora, I know you wouldn't leave if you didn't have too. I still don't really understand everything you do, but you're my son, and I trust you." She pulled him in for a hug.

Sora blinked back a few tears of his own, returning her hug. "Thanks, mom. I promise, it won't always be like this. Someday soon, it'll all be over. I'll come home and I won't have to leave for a long time."

Mei squeezed him tighter in her arms. "I know, honey. I know you'll save us, then you'll be free to come home and be my little boy again." She let him go, then placed a hand on his cheek. "You've grown up so much. I'm very proud of you."

Despite his best efforts, a tear escaped Sora's eye and rolled down his cheek. "Thanks, mom. I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too, dear."

They both left the house together, joining Hayner and Pence in the yard, then moving on to the beach. On their way, they ran into Riku and Lea who were walking with Riku's parents. The eight of them made their way to the beach where they met the girls at the pier. Kairi's parents had come to see her off, and Selphie, Wakka, Lulu, and Tidus were there as well. Kairi was hugging her parents who had tears in their eyes.

When Sora and the others arrived, Riku turned and said goodbye to his parents. They looked sad, but didn't cry. Riku hugged them goodbye, then threw his bag over one shoulder and headed out for the gummi ship.

Sora turned to Mei and hugged her again. "Goodbye mom."

Mei smiled as she embraced her son. "Goodbye. Be safe." Her voice cracked, but she didn't cry.

Sora turned and started to follow Riku. Kairi joined him and took his hand. Her eyes were red from crying.

Their friends all started to follow them towards the ship. When they reached it, hugs and farewells were exchanged.

Tidus and Yuna in particular embraced for a long time. Tidus whispered something to her and she laughed through her tears. She answered him, and the two of them separated.

Wakka approached Sora, Riku, and Kairi. "You three better come back soon, yah?" He smiled. "It's not the same around here without you guys." He hugged each of them in turn.

Lulu followed him and nodded to all of them. "You have a long road ahead of you. Good luck. I'm sure you will prevail."

As she walked away, the three friends exchanged glances, surprised at her display of affection.

Selphie approached next. She hugged Kairi tightly. "Be safe, okay?" She let Kairi go and turned to Sora and Riku. "You two had better take care of her." She turned and walked away.

Kairi giggled at her friend's antics. "I guess you got told," she said to the boys.

"Yeah," Sora said with a nervous smile.

Riku nodded.

Tidus was the last of the islanders to say goodbye. "I guess I'll be seeing you," he said, clearly not used to saying goodbye.

"Keep practicing," Sora said. "When I get back, I want to have another duel like the old days."

Tidus smiled and shook Sora's hand. "You got it."

With all the goodbyes complete, the friends who were departing headed onto the ship.

Sora deposited his bag in his bed, then made his way to the captain's seat on the flight deck. Riku sat down at his right, and Kairi at his left. He flicked the switch that started warmed up the engines. The motors began to hum as they engaged.

Sora turned on the intercom. "Everyone please buckle up. We're about to head out."

He engaged the hover engines, forcing the ship half a meter above the white sand of the beach.

"Preparing for takeoff," he said, then shut off the intercom. He reached over and pressed the button which closed the landing door. He heard the door beginning to close, then heard a crashing nose from back in the passenger space.

Riku flicked the intercom back on. "What was that? What happened?"

After a moment, Lea's laughing voice came through the speaker. "Feel free to take off, captain. We just picked up another passenger."

The three friends on the flight deck looked at each other, confused.

"Lea, can you explain that?" Kairi asked over the mic.

"It's simple," a different voice answered happily. "I'm coming with you."

"Tidus!?" Sora, Riku, and Kairi blurted together.

"Mr. Dramatic here jumped through the doors at the last second," Lea explained, back to his usual calm demeanor. "I say if he wants to come along, we let him."

"Tidus, what about your dad?" Kairi asked over the intercom.

"Screw him," Tidus answered immediately over the speakers. "The old man won't care. He probably won't even notice I'm gone. I'm going to Radiant Garden with Yuna and the rest of you."

The three friends looked at each other again, then Riku leaned back in his chair and put his feet up. "If he wants to go see the worlds, I'm not gonna stop him."

Sora and Kairi nodded, deciding they agreed.

Sora worked the controls, pumping more energy into the engines and pushing the ship higher into the air. They flew out over the ocean, then Sora circled back. He flew over the beach slowly, pulling a slow aileron roll as a goodbye to the friends and family they were all leaving behind. The parents were all waving. Wakka and Selphie ran after the ship, smiling. Lulu stood still, but waved a hand as they passed.

As they came out of the role, Sora floored the throttle, rocketing the ship up to escape velocity. The gummi ship cut through the air, and Sora pulled back on the controls making it climb higher and higher, until the islands were mere specs on a vast field of blue behind them.

As they left the atmosphere behind, the vastness of space opened up before them. Stars uncountable filled their vision. Even now, the sight was still breathtaking.

Kairi placed a hand on Sora's shoulder. "You ready?" she asked.

Sora nodded, then turned to Riku.

Riku nodded back with a determined smile.

Sora looked out at the stars before him. Each one was a world. Each one needed to be saved. Each one needed the three of them. A few days ago, the thought would have been terrifying. It would have kept him awake and on edge. Now though, was different.

He reached down and took Kairi's hand.

Now he remembered he wasn't alone. Now he remembered that the darkness wasn't as strong as the connections he had with his friends, as the connection he had with her. He knew they would be fine. No matter what happened, as long as he, Kairi, and Riku stood together, they would come out okay.

That thought in mind he programmed the coordinates for Twilight Town, then engaged the warp drive.

Kairi squeezed his hand as the drive warmed up. He turned and smiled at her. She smiled back. He was leaving the islands, but with her at his side, he would always feel at home.

The warp drive engaged.


End file.
